A Change of Spirit
by Magical Mistress Sarai
Summary: -Sequel Fic- When Jack Frost's snow day is ruined at the hands of a Summer spirit, their meeting starts a chain of events far wilder than could be imagined. Something sinister lurks in the shadows, and it is up to Jack Frost and his friends, Old and New, to save the children of the world once more. Slash, minor violence and language *updates Wed and Sat*
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ROTG characters.**_

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_**-Prologue-**_

"They aren't my nightmares…" North said with a smirk.

Pitch Black looked at the fat, old man in confusion… but only for a moment. The Nightmare King's eyes darted around frantically, taking in the sheer number of the dark vestiges that had surrounded the clearing, and he suddenly felt very afraid.

He knew who's nightmares they were.

Turning to run, Pitch already knew it was a futile act as the dark horses over took him, lifting him bodily into their grasp and pulling him down… down into darkness. The Boogeyman cried out, for help… for anything that might save him from what was coming, but there would be no help for the wicked. The Nightmare King stumbled and pitched forward, struggling to remain on his feet as the swirling vortex of darkness dumped him unceremoniously to the floor. Taking a single, timid step forward into the darkness, he took a careful look at his surroundings.

He was in the Hall of Horrors, the realm of Fear and Terror… his home. Only… Pitch didn't feel very much like he was at home, and the once pleasant comforts were no longer welcoming. He could feel the darkness closing in on him, tried to pass it off as his own fear, but soon the darkness covered the floor, the walls, the globe sparkling with the dots of all the children who believed… the darkness swallowed the nightmares that pawed the ground around him… and it moved to swallow the Nightmare King as well, stopping just around the edges of his feet, forming the smallest circle of light created by a slender beam of moonlight that leaked through the roof.

Pitched looked up, for he could see nothing through this thick darkness, and he thought of the irony. The only one who would bear witness to his absolute failure would be the entity he most despised. "You are probably gloating at this, aren't you Man in the Moon?" Pitch thought.

"_You have failed_…"

The whisper slithered out of the darkness, cutting through Pitch's thoughts like a razor.

"No!" the Boogeyman threw his hands up placating the unseen owner of the voice, "It's that Jack Frost… he helped the Guardians!"

"_Silenccceee_!" the whisper lashed out, "_Do not blame your failings on another. You failed… becaussse your ambition far exceeded your grasp_."

"I had them… they were defeated!" Pitch shouted back in defiance, "There was only one child!"

"_You were not told to involve the children_!" The whisper boomed to a roar, causing Pitch to shield himself with his arms as he cowered. "_Children will always be more powerful than a spirit who depends on them for power! You should have killed the guardians when you had the chance, but your lust for power… MY POWER… led you to disobedience… and failure_."

"Please!" Pitch was on his knees; he was not above begging if it meant leniency from this horror. "Just give me another chance… I know how to defeat the Guardians! I will deal with Jack Frost and-"

"_No_." The whisper cut him off abruptly, "_You would only fail me again_…"

"But-" Pitch tried to speak again.

"_You will be rendered to the darkness which you so lusted after… and in the darkness you will remain_," the verdict was delivered with such venomous distaste that Pitch felt shivers of fear race up his spine. He leapt to his feet, attempted to run, but the darkness swallowed him completely.

"_Besides_…" the voice whispered menacingly, "_I have other pawns on the board who have yet to make their move_."


	2. A Rustle of Something

_**Disclamer: I do not own any of the ROTG characters. I do own Rustle.**_

_edited: 12/24/12 to bring the first chapter more in line with the rest of the later chapters and to fix up some issues with my OC's characterization._

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**Chapter 1**

_1 year later..._

It was a snow day!

Jack loved winter, and as the days crept closer to Christmas, the more he enjoyed taking children's minds off the holidays and out into the sunlight to play and frolic… who needed Christmas and Easter and other holidays when every day could be a Snow Day? Perhaps it was a little selfish of him, and Jack would never begrudge one of the other Guardians their time with the children, but now that people believed… in HIM… he was perhaps a little bit of a glutton when it came to keeping the kids and their attentions.

The winter spirit was currently skating down the main street of a harbor town in upper Maine, watching the children playing with snow men in the nearby park, sledding down hills, and making snow angels in pure, white snow drifts… everything was perfect!

Then there was the sound of thunder.

Jack spun towards the ocean, his messy white bangs falling across his eyes from the swift motion. The boy brought his free hand up to bat them away, clinging to his staff with the other as he perched on it for a better view. Something wasn't right…

The wind suddenly picked up, coming in from the harbor, and it was… warm, much too warm for the month of December. It felt like a summer breeze was ripping down Main Street. Thunder rumbled again, drawing Jack's gaze to a voluminous thunderhead that had eclipsed the horizon; the mountainous black clouds were rolling in with a speed that surprised even him, and before he knew it rain had begun to pour all over town, washing away the snow and forcing the children inside.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait…" Jack shouted at the storm, not even registering that he was now soaked, "This isn't supposed to happen! What are you doing wind? Blow this thing out of here!"

There was no response. The storm continued to push on through, the wind remained warm… and the snow… the snow was all gone.

Jack dropped to the ground and stood dejectedly in a slushy puddle, looking around at the now ruined snow day. Where there had been snow banks just moments ago, now there were delicate and soft tufts of bright green grass, flowers shone brightly where snow men had once been standing…

"Wait…" Jack looked around, "Flowers and green grass…?" It suddenly hit him. He knew there was absolutely no way that a summer storm could have popped up during one of his snow days. The only explanation for all of this was that another Spirit was playing a joke on him, possibly getting payback for one of the many times he party crashed on their holidays.

"Alright," Jack chuckled, "Very funny… where are you, Cottontail? This has your name written all over it. Paying me back for '68?" The white haired boy looked around, a half impressed-half irritated smirk worming its way to his lips. There was no answer, no blur of grey fur, no annoyingly gloating Aussie accent. "Bunny?"

There was a faint giggle, like the sound of falling rain, and it came from behind Jack. The Guardian of Fun spun around to see who it was, expecting to find Bunnymund or Toothiana, perhaps both, standing there laughing at him… instead, Jack locked eyes with another boy.

The boy looked to be about his own age, with bright blue hair even shaggier and unrulier than Jack's. He wore a blue, form fitting Hawaiian shirt with white clouds on the shoulders and collar, a pair of pristine, white Bermuda shorts, and he held a birch twig in his right hand which had some of the brightest green leaves Jack had ever seen. The boy was just standing there, barefooted in the rain, leaning against one of the black, iron lampposts and giggling… at Jack.

Jack stood there with his mouth open, not quite certain how to react.

The boy threw a cocky smirk at him, "Hiya."

"Hiya?" Jack's eyes squinted as he frowned at the newcomer, "What the heck is that?

"Something between a 'Hi' and a 'How are ya'," the other boy replied, his smirk blossoming into a full blown grin, white teeth and all.

"Yeah…" Jack's nostrils flared, "I kinda got that much."

"Alrighty," the boy waved, "Bye then!"

With that said, the strange boy turned and started walking down the street without a look back… well kind of a walk, only that every third of fourth step he would do a little hop-skip thing, and Jack could have sworn he heard him begin to whistle "Singing in the Rain".

"Wait!" Jack called out, chasing down the street after the other teen. It took a moment to catch up because the blue haired kid made no effort whatsoever to wait. "Are you the one who messed up my snow day?" Jack put himself in the other kid's path, forcing him to stop. "You did this?!" Jack was almost to the point of being furious, his breathing quick and sharp as he glared down at the other boy.

The strange youth, an inch or so shorter than Jack, looked up at him, apparently deep in thought as he searched for an answer to the Winter Spirit's question; then he answered: "Yep!" the big grin reappeared, and he spun around Jack, a manueve that looked like it could have been part of a dance routine, and kept walk-skipping down Main Street.

Jack was floored. This brat had just rushed in and destroyed his snow day, and he thought it was funny! The white haired spirit was just about to explode, when a sudden thought occured to him.

That meant that this boy… this boy was just like him! How many times had Jack shown up with a blizzard and ruined Easter, or some other holiday? How many random snow days had he tossed around without thought back in the day? With this knowledge, Jack truly couldn't bring himself to be angry anymore. Besides, this meeting was the first time he had ever encountered another Weather spirit.

Jack wasn't even aware that any others existed. Sure, he assumed that the possibility existed. After all, Jack knew about his fellow Guardians, and he knew about Pitch Black… there was the Leprechaun, the Groundhog, Cupid... someone probably claimed Halloween, possibly several spirits in different parts of the world. But Jack had always assumed that most of the spirits were attached to holidays, which, now that he thought about it, was a preposterous thought. There had to be more kinds of spirits out there… possibly dozens more! Jack had just spend so many years on his own; he'd never really given it much thought.

"Hey! Wait up!" Jack called out earnestly. "You're a weather spirit, right?"

This time the boy stopped, looking over his shoulder at Jack and giving a wink.

"Who are you?" Jack blurted out excitedly, " What's your name? Do you have a holiday? Is that branch like my staff? Can you fly?" The questions kept pouring out until Jack noticed that the blue haired Spirit was giggling again… at him. Jack flushed a deep violet, suddenly embarrassed. Here he was, one of the Guardians, an elite order among the community of spirits, and he was acting just like a little kid on one of the many playgrounds which he frequented.

Smiling, the blue haired boy turned around and walked towards Jack until they were almost face to face. The new Spirit seemed to be pondering something, perhaps one of Jack's many questions, as he locked eyes on Jack again. Jack noticed that they had one thing in common: this new kid's eyes were the exact same color as his, blue, except this boy's eyes were warm like summer's rain.

Jack was again ripped from his thoughts, by something unexpected, when the boy suddenly poked him in the forehead. The young Guardian jumped back, eyes wide and mouth agape as he stammered, "Wha-what?"

"Tag!" The boy grinned. "You're it!" he called before launching into the air on a rising gust of warm wind.

Something deep inside of Jack, possibly his core, did not hesitate. In the blink of an eye he had launched himself forward on a icy stream, and the chase was on!

Jack chased the blue-haired spirit down Main Street, across the park, over rooftops, and through the woods. They danced nimbly across electrical wires, leaped over chimneys, skipped through the snow covered boughs of trees, though Jack noticed that everywhere the boy stepped the snow melted and fresh, green grass of moss sprung to life in an instant. Their game of tag led across town, down the shore line, and even out across the ocean… somewhere along the way, Jack couldn't remember when exactly, the young winter spirit had begun to laugh. His peals of joy joining in with the fae-like giggles of the one he was pursuing.

Time seemed to stand-still, or perhaps-and this is the more likely scenario-Jack had lost track of time, but before he knew it the sun was setting. Realizing that he had spent almost an entire day playing a game with a complete stranger, Jack put his mind to it and decided that he was going to win something… anything. Afterall, this kid ruined the Snow Day, Jack thought with a smirk.

Leaping up into his own jet of cool air, Jack Frost let the brisk wind carry him up and over the blue haired Spirit, catching the other youth by surprise. Jack came down on top of the boy in a wind powered tackle, which he also used to soften the landing, and they both landed in the park-sprawled out and limbs entangled, laughing to the point that neither could but barely breath.

"Ha ha ha…" Jack pushed himself up onto his knees, trying to disengage himself from the other, "I haven't had that much fun in months."

"I know!" the other kid grinned, pulling his leg off of Jack's shoulder and flopping onto his back, "That was fun!"

The two of them stayed like that for awhile, basking the the aftermath of a really good, really fun, _really_ exhausting game. The sudden pause in action made Jack realize just how tired he was, so he dropped down into a sitting position, pulling his staff across his lap and taking a few more moments to observe his new… friend? Jack didn't quite know what to call this kid, but he decided to try asking a question again. "So…" Jack ventured, "What's your name?"

"Rustle," the boy replied simply, smiling up at the sky which was now painted with various colors as the sun set upon the horizon. The orange and indigo colors of the night played off the boy's Hawaiian shirt… no, Jack realized that he shirt had changed from a blue sky with cloudy shoulders to a sunset print, with the orange starting at the shoulders and dipping through the sunset spectrum to end with a brilliant indigo swatch around the waist.

"Russell?" Jack asked, not certain he had heard correctly.

"Nope," the boy shook his head, "Rustle!" This time he over enunciated the "t" so that Jack could hear it. "Like… you know, the sound of something moving… but only just a little bit?"

"Yeah, like a feather?" Jack asked.

"Yep! Except like Thunder!" the boy grinned, rolling over on his side to look at Jack.

"Huh?" the winter spirit was confused. Thunder had always been loud and obnoxious to him.

"That's my name: Rustle O. Thunder!" the spiritsaid, claiming it proudly.

Not waiting to even touch upon the topic, or the discussion which that contradiction of a name might create, Jack decided to ask another question, "What does the _oh_ stand for?"

"For... _'Oh! I got you!'_… or pretty much anything that has the letter _oh_ at the beginning of it and pertains to something funny!" Rustle grinned, and Jack couldn't help but laugh.

Jack was afraid he might have insulted the boy, for all he knew that could actually be what the "O" stood for, but apparently Rustle wasn't offended; in fact he looked rather proud of himself.

"You're a little bit strange," Jack mused.

"Eh?" Rustle cocked his head to the and pondered Jack's statement, "Am I?"

"Just a little," Jack laughed, deciding that it wasn't a bad thing. The blue haired spirit scrunched his nose, obviously not used to being laughed at.

"Do you have a holiday?" Jack asked. For some inexplicable reason he wanted to know everything he could about this new spirit. Perhaps it was because the two of them were so alike? Or perhaps because he hadn't met any spirits who were so much like himself. In fact, Jack hadn't personally met that many spirits. He knew all of the Guardians fairly well, and he'd gotten into an insult match with the Leprechaun a few years back, but that was as far as his connections in the spirit world went. Jack wasn't about to count Pitch Black; the Boogeyman was a horrible person to meet and definitely didn't deserve the effort it would take to get to understand him.

Rustle wrinkled his eyebrows as he thought on Jack's question, "Well… sorta… but it's not really official."

"What do you mean?" Jack raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Well…" Rustle looked down at the ground, a motion that was something between being shy or being ashamed, "I kinda… invented April Fool's Day."

For the third time that day, Jack found himself having to close his mouth because it had involuntarily opened in shock. "Wait… so you're telling me… that you invented…"

"April Fool's Day," Rustle nodded, seemingly proud of the claim now because he had a big grin on his face.

"Color me impressed," Jack whistled, "I still haven't managed to create a day for myself. You must have all kinds of kids who believe in you!"

Jack was busy looking at the sky, but the sudden silence drew his gaze back down to the spirit beside him. Rustle had sat up and he was playing with several long tufts of grass that had grown up between his fingers; the waning sunlight made it difficult to see the blue haired spirit's face, but Jack could tell that the other boy had grown sullen.

"Rustle?"

"Not really…" the boy muttered.

"Huh?

"I… don't really have anyone… who believes in me," the boy muttered, "Kids… they just like to play pranks, but they don't even know I exist. Maybe they do on some fundamental level; I mean... I'm still here after all these years, but no one _sees_ me."

Jack frowned. He knew that feeling all too well, "I'm… sorry."

"It's kay," the other boy shrugged, "I'm used to it! I've been ignored for… a thousand years now?" At this last part he had to look up in the sky as if trying to remember just how long he'd been around. Jack realized that even he had to do that sometimes, and he'd only been around for a third of that amount.

"Holy…" Jack breathed, "You've been doing pranks for that long?"

"Oh, no!" Rustle shook his head rapidly. "I started off doing something different.

"What?"

"Well," Rustle looked at Jack guiltily, "I sorta… am supposed to be doing your job?"

"My job?" Jack looked at him warily.

"Well, not _exactly_ your job," Rustle giggled, "But… like yours, I'm supposed to bring the kids weather… y'know? Little summer storms… rainy days… _Drip Drip Drop Little April Shower_ and all that?" He sang that last part, thought Jack couldn't quite place the song; It wasn't a tune he was familiar with.

"So, you started off bringing weather?" Jack nodded, encouraging the other spirit to continue. "What happened?"

"Well, have you listened to any music lately?" Rustle frowned, "People hate rain… Seattle? My home? Highest suicide rate in the world, and what do people blame it on? The rain! How am I supposed to make people happy, if what I'm supposed to do makes people sad?" the boy pulled his feet close, tucking his knees under his chin, "Hundreds of years and about the only reason people really wanted rain was to make crops grow. Back in the day people used to pray for it, you know? They'd offer sacrifices! Do I look like a greek god to you?"

Jack chuckled unintentionally, but his laughter seemed to bring Rustle out of his funk. "Not any greek gods I've heard of!"

"See!" The boy pointed at Jack, "That's what I like doing. People like to laugh, especially kids… so I kinda decided that when I brought my April Showers… might as well bring the laughs with me too."

"I get it," Jack smiled, thinking back to his days before he was a Guardian, "I used to play pranks and stuff too… before kids started believing in me. There aren't many who do, but..." Jack sighed happily thinking about the few hundred kids who knew he existed, even if they didn't really know why. There were fewer still whom he could talk to, like Jamie, but Jack adored all of his kids.

"But you have some?" Rustle asked, looking at Jack with awe.

"Well I'm not E. Aster Bunnymund or Santa…" the Winter Spirit chuckled, "But… yeah, I have a few."

"That's so cool…" Rustle said looking out at the houses across the street.

The two of them stayed like that, watching the sun set and thinking about the children. They just sat in silence, enjoying the fact that there was someone else like them in the world.

For Jack, it was nice to know that other spirits out there were like him. He would never complain about being a Guardian, and he loved North, Toothiana, and… yes, even begrudgingly, he was appreciative of Bunny, but he couldn't help feeling that they were a different kind of spirit than he was. Heck! They had holidays and millions of children who believed in them. Having meet Rustle, Jack felt that someone else finally could understand him.

On the other hand, Rustle had spent hundreds of years bringing rain… humor… and the occasional mishappened prank that got someone hurt, but never seriously injured. Despite all of that, he had never actually been seen. Prayers and offerings to a nameless god really didn't count. As the years passed, people developed irrigation techniques and ways to transport water, and then even the prayers stopped. As for other spirits? Rustle had never gotten along well with them. Most of the big named spirits hadn't acknowledged him, unless it was to chase him away from screwing with their holidays. The Summer spirit let out a deep sigh, exhaling a load of unrealized tension. After almost a millennia of being alone, to have met someone like himself, who offered hope that one day things might eventually change, Rustle had never had a day quite so good as this one.

Finally night began to fall, and with it came something that Jack could always count upon: the golden, shimmering strands of dream sand. No matter where they were in the world, children could count on the Sandman to bring them a pleasant dream, and, now with Pitch out of the way, Jack was certain that many children who had been experiencing nightmares were now no longer afraid to go to sleep. The golden strands dipped in and out of houses, through windows, cat doors, ventilation pipes… any means of reaching the children were found, and Jack could see the sparkling wonders there were a child's imagination brought to life by Sandy.

It was truly a glorious sight.

Looking to his left, Jack saw that Rustle was mesmerized. "What?" Jack looked at the boy for a second, "Don't tell me you've never watched Sandman do his work?"

"Never…" Rustle breathed, "I always keep moving… I tend to follow the sun." The blue haired boy drifted of, his eyes to distracted by the glittering wonderland to keep a full sentence together. "So… pretty…'

Suddenly Jack had an idea, and if he did say so himself: it was a brilliant idea. "Say, Rustle…?"

"Yeah?" the other boy responded, having to tear his eyes away from the golden dreams to look at Jack.

"Have you ever been to the North Pole?"

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**A/N: And… that is the end of the first Chapter!  
**

**I have seen this movie four times now, and I have found myself absolutely addicted to the characters and the mythos created. I love it, and so I am constantly checking up for new stories and… finally I decided to put my own proverbial pen to paper (ok… hands to keyboard).**

**It's that old belief of "if you want something done…" well… I wanted to see a certain story, and rather than wait for someone else to write it. I am going to jump in while this fandom is still fresh and new. Hopefully you enjoy it because I have a ton of ideas for this story. I have a plan for the man story arc, but I also have some specific stories for each holiday as they come around, particularly Christmas, new years, and Valentine's. I don't know if I will make those one-shots or chapters within this story.**

**Feel free to send me your opinions. I love reviews, thoughts, criticism… anything and everything except rudeness.**

**Read, review, enjoy! Spread the word. I'll be updating as soon as I can.**


	3. Preparing for Some History

**_Disclaimer: Standard applies... i do not own anything that belongs to Dreamworks. Keep your hands off my Rustle though. :P_**

_chapter edited: 12/27/12_

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**Chapter 2**

"I tell you, Bunny! Something is coming…" North pierced the Easter spirit with his wide-eyed gaze, "I feel it! In my belly!"

"Oy, mate, enough with your indigestion already," Bunnymund scoffed, taking a hop back to distance himself from the large man who seriously needed to learn about personal space. North spent so much time cooped up in his workshop that it sometimes left him oblivious to social interactions… or perhaps he just enjoyed watching the Easter Bunny squirm? Who knew for certain?

"Mark my word," North said knowingly, shaking a finger, "The belly has never been wrong."

"Aye, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the keg of cocoa you just chugged."

"Admit, Bunny, you were impressed!"

"I was _appalled_," Bunnymund corrected, "I never in all my years thought I would see you goaded on by a bunch of elves."

"Sometimes is good to let loose," North smiled, "Would do you some good I think."

"I let loose plenty, y'hear me?"

"Only when Jack Frost is around… then maybe." North shrugged, turning to a work table to consult with a pair of Yeti on their latest sled design. It looked a little too modern for Bunny's tastes, but, then again, what did he know about snow sledding?

"Speaking of Frostbite, Mate, any idea of what the lad's been up to?"

"Careful now, Bunny…" North chuckled, "Might be mistaking curiosity for concern."

"I am concerned!" the Easter spirit protested, "It's only two weeks until Christmas! What if he gets a wild fancy and goes on one of his practical joke rampages?!"

"Is not problem," the jolly man waved dismissively, "Yeti's have kept Jack out of workshop before. They will do so again if necessary."

"Awww… and here I thought we'd become such good friends, Old Man!"

Bunnymund spun around upon hearing the familiar voice and was greeted with the somewhat pleasant, but mostly unwelcome sight of Jack Frost. Whenever the boy showed up unannounced or without reason, it normally meant trouble… and speaking of trouble, the look in Jack's eyes twinkled with some hidden knowledge. Bunny didn't like the looks of this at all.

"Jack Frost! Is good to see you!" North bellowed, pulling the winter spirit into a bear hug, "Was just talking about you."

"Oh really?" Jack grinned mischievously, landing next to Bunnymund. "And what did the Easter Kangaroo have to say this time? Good things I hope?"

"Only the best things," North winked at Jack, "He just wanted to make certain you were staying out of trouble."

"Come on, Cottontail," Jack elbowed the rabbit playfully, "You should know that by now. I'm a Guardian! I've learned to be responsible."

Bunnymund raised an eyebrow, "Responsible? You mean like the snow storm you sent to me in Australia last month?"

"Early Christmas present, Fluffy," Jack grinned, perching on his staff, "You should thank me."

"Not likely," Bunnymund growled, his ears flattening, "It took me a week to get all of the eggs to come out of hibernation, and they don't even hibernate!"

"Evolution at work, what can I say?" Jack smacked a fist into the open palm of his other hand as if he suddenly remembered something important, "Right! North, I have a favor to ask."

"Of course, Jack! T'is pleasure! How can I be of service?"

Again, Bunnymund felt that sense of trepidation. Jack had never asked one of the other Guardians for anything… ever! The fact that he wanted something now did not bode well.

"I brought a friend with me," Jack said with a grin, running off to a nearby corner and reappearing with another boy. "This is Rustle!"

Both North and Bunny looked at the blue haired kid in a dark blue Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts, and then exchanged looks with one another.

"Hiya!" the kid waved, not looking at either Bunny of North, but rather completely engrossed with the workshop surrounding him. Rustle didn't even seem phazed to be in the presence of two of the largest holiday figures in the world. Rather, he appeared to be more stunned by the presence of toy building Yeti's than Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.

"Jack…" North started, looking a bit lost for words, "What is… meaning of this?"

"You brough a kid to the pole, Jack?!" Bunny looked incredulously at the younger Guardian.

"Pfft!" Jack had to stop himself from laughing.

"Not a kid," Rustle raised his hand and waved their objections away, as if this were a classroom and he had just told the teacher that she was wrong.

"Rustle is…" Jack thought about it for a second, "The summer version of me? Or is he the April Fool? Or both…? I haven't quite figured it out yet."

"Wait a sec," Bunny looked at the blue haired spirit, and then back at Jack, and then a Rustle once again. There was something familiar about that dark blue shirt with its aurora-like colors around the shoulders. "I know you…"

"Easter of 1921," Rustle smiled over a stack of toy robots before he disappeared below the table, preoccupied with another discovery.

"The Great Swap of '21?" North said in shock, "This was you?"

Rustle popped up and looked confused, "Swap of '21? I don't know what you mean, but I did switch out the eggs that year."

"Yeah… I remember it like it was yesterday," Bunnymund growled, stalking forward, "Seventy countries… all of my masterpiece eggs were mysteriously swapped with rotten, chicken eggs! Dyed in generic pastels! It was monstrous!"

"Four hundred and twenty thousand, one hundred and seventeen eggs to be exactly," Rustle muttered, appearing behind the Easter Bunny as he examined a toy car.

Bunny looked from where the boy had been, to where he had suddenly appeared, "How did you get from there... to... over here?"

Rustle looked at the rabbit as if he were crazy, and then shrugged, walking over to poke one of the Yeti's with great satisfaction. The large, hairy creature glared down at Rustle and grumbled something in its gutteral language. The Summer spirit grinned, as if the Yeti had just made his day. Jack watched the interaction closely, wondering just it was that made Rustle act the way he did.

Jack regarded blue-haired boy with disbelief and admiration, "I don't believe it! Where did you get four hundred THOUSAND chicken eggs?"

"Years of planning," Rustle shrugged, "Many angry chickens." The boy scratched his head uncomfortably and looked as if he were remembering a rather unpleasant encounter.

The Easter Bunny was about to explode, when, all of a sudden, North exploded first… into a fit of hysterical laughter. "Oh! Ho! Ho! Ho! Is too much," North fell to the floor holding his sides, "All this time, Bunny, you have thought it was a conspiracy… but was only small Summer Sprite! Ha ha ha!"

"That is no summer sprite!" Bunny protested, "That's a demon! A demon wearing a teenager suit!"

"You are correct… and incorrect," Rustle grinned, looking down at North as he was literally 'ROTFL'... a fact that seemed to please Rustle greatly.

"About?" the Easter spirit raised an eyebrow.

"I am not a summer sprite…" Rustle said bluntly, "But I am not a demon."

Bunny's mouth fell open at the deadpan certainty with which the kid responded, "Then what the _hell_ are you?"

"Rustle…" the boy said with a smile.

Yeah," Bunny's shoulders fell in defeat, "I got that."

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It was a few hours later. Rustle had been given a Yeti tour guide and several elves to keep him entertained; it was a surprise to no one that the blue-haired spirit seemed to get along well with them and their slap-stick antics, and, now that the boy was occupied elsewhere, it gave Jack the perfect opportunity to get some answers that Rustle either wasn't willing, or able, to give him.

"Tell me, Jack," North said, wiping his massive hands on a shop towel, "How did you meet our Summer friend? Aren't you supposed to be in Maine?"

"That's just the thing," Jack's lips twisted as he muddled over the encounter he had with Rustle earlier. "He showed up out of nowhere, completely killed my snow day!"

"Finally getting a little payback, eh, Frostbite?" Bunnymund joked.

"Yeah, you'd think I would have been angry," Jack chuckled, recalling his first reaction towards Rustle, "But honestly? We ended up having a blast!"

"Wait…" Bunny held up a paw, "You're telling me he messed with your job, and you ended up playing with him?"

Jack nodded.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because Jack is Guardian of Fun!" North clapped the boy on his back, "Is in his nature to find the innocence in every action. Beside… this Rustle, he does not seem so bad."

"He's a bit odd at times," the winter spirit laughed nervously, hopping up onto one of the work benches so that he was eye level with the other two Guardians, "But… yeah, not so bad. I do feel sorry for him though."

"Sorry?" Bunny asked, "He's a menace, why would you possibly feel sorry for him."

"You used to think I was a menace," Jack countered, defensive anger flaring in his eyes.

"I still do, Mate," Bunnymund chuckled.

"Funny." Jack rolled his eyes. "Anyways, about what I wanted to ask you," the boy turned to North, "And I guess the Kangaroo can chime in if he knows anything, but after meeting Rustle I just have to know… how many more of use are out there?"

North exchanged a small glance with the other experienced Guardian in the room before he turned back to Jack, "So… you want history lesson, Jack?"

Jack could see Bunnymund over North's massive shoulder, and the rabbit was making a slashing motion with his paw around his neck, but the white-haired winter spirit couldn't understand what words his was mouthing. Not having time to waste trying to figure out the Rabbit's bizarre antics, Jack nodded enthusiastically.

"Excellent!" North whooped, doing a little jig as he headed towards his globe room, "You are in for real treat my friend!"

Bunnymund face palmed into his waiting paw… Jack had no idea what he had just gotten them into.

* * *

**A/N**

**And there is Chapter 2.**

**I really would appreciate any and all thoughts and/or critique. For example: I hate the title, but I can't seem to think of anything better at the moment. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them.**

**Also, I wanted to give a shout out to KudaKano, whose amazing ROTG fic "Flicker" is responsible for inspiring me to write this story. So, go and read her story after you read this... it's worth it, I promise!**

**Lastly, i want to thank my one reviewer thus far! I would love to make this a Rustle and Jack fic, but I don't know. I have trepidation about putting the main character with an OC, i feel that sometime readers look down on that sort of thing? Kind of along the lines of mary sues and what not, it seems a bit cheap for the writer to create her own character to put the hot guy with. Who knows... we will just have to wait and see.**

**Alrighty! this is it for me today! I will definitely update more this weekend. Reviews are appreciated and will be responded to!**


	4. There's a Lot to Learn

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ROTG characters; however, Rustle and the new OC's that are introduced and will appear throughout this story are my brain children.**_

_chapter edited on: 12/27/12_

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**Chapter 3**

Jack finally understood what Bunny had been trying to tell him:

**Don't do it**. _Run for your life_.

Well… too late for that now. Not that Jack necessarily would have listened. He had questions, and he was willing to put up with anything to get answers.

The winter spirit found himself forcefully seated behind a desk by a pair of massive hands, and then a large tattooed arm swooped over his head and placed a pencil, a spiral notebook, and an eraser in front of him. Where North had even gotten a school desk, Jack didn't want to know... perhaps he had it built for just these sort of occasions?

"Um, excuse me?" Jack said, holding the notebook by its corner and looking at it curiously. "What is this for?"

"To take notes," North grinned, "Is something you will want to do."

"Yeah…" Jack put the unwanted item back on the desk and slid it to the corner as far as it would go, "I really just wanted to know if there were any other… you know? Spirits? Besides the obvious ones."

"Of course there are, Jack!" North laughed heartily, "Do you not remember Man in Moon?" The large man gestured to the skylight from which he viewed the moon.

"How could I forget?" Jack sighed. The Moon and he weren't on the greatest of terms, mainly because Manny seemed more prone to speak to North than he was to anyone else. In fact, Jack hadn't spoken to the Man in the Moon since he had become a spirit, if you could even consider that a conversation. "But… what about others? Like us, I mean."

"Well… let me see," North scratched his beard for a moment, "There is Leprechaun… Cupid…"

Jack's yawned, "Cupid? Really? I said besides the obvious."

"Trust me, Mate," Bunnymund spoke up from his spot in the back where he was leaning against a column, "Cupid. Now, there's a bloke you don't wanna meet."

"Why?" Jack looked at North for explanation.

"Is complicated," the older man mused, "Cupid has long history of messing in the affairs of Spirits as much as mortals."

"Don't we all kind of… mess with each other's affairs?" Jack grinned, remembering the race they had all participated in to gather teeth for Toothiana.

"Cupid tends to go a bit overboard," Bunny growled, "Heck, the blimey even calls himself a god for cryin' out loud."

"Yes, well… moving on," North said, steering the subject back to the topic at hand, "There is also Mother Goose and Sam Hain, though he goes by Hal Owen these days, thinks himself clever."

"Don't forget the Groundhog," Bunny muttered, his ears flattening against his head.

"You mean to tell me that the Groundhog is an actual spirit?" Jack laughed, "I thought it was just a fat rodent they kept in a cage up north?"

"Don't let her hear you say that, Mate," the Easter Bunny looked around cautiously, "She's got a wicked temper."

"Old girlfriend, eh, Kangaroo?"

"Now wait a second-"

North interrupted with a chuckle, "Bunny just has trouble sharing."

"Those are _MY_ tunnels," the Easter spirit protested, "She should dig her own!"

"So you're saying that every holiday has a spirit?" Jack asked. He wondered how such a thing worked. Did holidays get created for spirits or did spirits mimic their actions for certain holidays?

"Not exactly," North pondered a moment, "Are many holidays on calendar, Jack, but not so many spirits. Takes special qualifications to become spirit."

"I didn't see any special qualifications in Pitch…"

Both North and Bunny grew somber at the mention of the Boogeyman. True enough, they had neither seen nor heard from the villain since his last defeat, but there was still superstition. Speaking of someone like Pitch was always asking for trouble in their opinion. Such a person was best left out of sight, out of speech, and out of mind.

"Pitch was not always monster," North explained. "Ever since there have been dreams, Jack, mankind has had nightmares. In the beginning, Pitch's job was… to help."

"Then why does he create them now?" Jack pressed.

"No one knows? Not even Sandy, who was made spirit even before Pitch." North looked up at the moon, "Only Manny knows what happened."

"Well perhaps not only Manny, eh?" Bunny pushed himself off the column and went to crouch over next to the Globe console.

"What do you mean?" Jack climbed on top of his desk to look down at the rabbit.

"Well, Manny is one of the oldest spirits in the world…" Bunny explained. Then he stopped himself, "Wait, why am I doing this. You're the one with the desks and the notebooks!" The rabbit waved his hands in a shooing motion, urging North to do his job.

"But he is not oldest spirit," North continued, taking back control of his history lesson and shooing Bunnymund away from his console in response to the Easter spirit's antics. After pushing a few buttons and twisting a rather large knob, North created a Borealis projection which showed four figures standing side by side, two men and two women.

Jack Frost looked up at the projection in amazement, "Who… who _are_ they?"

"Those are the Hierarchs, Mate…" Bunny smirked. It wasn't often that you saw Jack Frost speechless, and the rabbit wasn't going to pass up a chance to enjoy it, "…the oldest spirits in the world."

"They are the spirits in whom children and adults all believe," North explained further, "They have no holidays like Bunny or myself, and no specific job like Toothiana or Sandy. They keep the world in balance. They are the source of all spirits."

North stepped up to the first person, a man dressed in a shimmering suit of pale grey. His face was difficult to make out, in fact the faces of any of them were difficult to discern. Jack was suddenly quite disappointed in the quality of the projection, but he listened to North with undistracted interest.

"First is Manny; you know him! Manny watches over whole world, not just children but their parents too. Because of his compassion, you exist Jack Frost, as do all of us. The Guardians are his spirits. In a way… we are his children," North grinned at the see-through picture of his friend, "Is that not so, Manny?"

Jack didn't hear any sort of response, but like always, North seemed to hear something which Jack could not. It set a little bit of a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach, which was saying something, but Jack was unable of placing his finger on what it meant.

"Then we have Father Time!" North boomed, pulling Jack out of his internal brooding.

"Wait…" the white haired youth blinked a few times, "Father Time? As in the baby who becomes an old man in the course of a year?"

"Foolish nonsense," North dismissed his statement, "Purely Hollywood shenanigans… Spirits do not age, Jack. Is impossible!"

Jack wanted to point out that it wasn't impossible, because North had gotten even older when the children stopped believing last year, but something in the back of his head, perhaps his conscience, was telling him that it was a point better left unmade.

"However," Bunny spoke up, "He does look different, depending on who is bloody looking at him. He looked to be the same age as North to me, but he was barely twenty when Toothiana looked at him. You should have seen her swoon!" The rabbit chuckled at his private little joke.

"So what does Father Time do?" Jack asked, curious about a spirit who changed appearance with each person he met.

"Who knows?" North shrugged, "Perhaps everything… perhaps nothing? It is said, he began when the world began; that is why he and Mother Earth are so perfect for one another."

"Wait!" Jack snapped his fingers and pointed to the third projected a figure-a woman with long, curly locks of hair that were intertwined with flowers and leaves and berries, wearing a dress of what looked to be plants and water at the same time. "That's Mother Earth."

"Correct, Jack!" North gave him a thumbs up, "She is particularly powerful spirit because everything around us is a part of her!"

Jack looked around, suddenly nervous, "Am I standing in her eye or something when I go skating?"

"Bwah! Ha ha ha!" Bunny held his sides tightly, "See! I'm not the only one who thinks like that!"

North frowned for a moment, obviously having lost some long standing bet with the Easter Bunny just now. The old man quickly shook it off, however, and was his normal, jovial self in seconds, "Well… perhaps you and Jack Frost are more alike than you are willing to admit, Bunny!" The Guardian of Wonder fixed the Easter Bunny with a knowing look, which shut the rabbit up instantly.

"What's that, Cottontail?" Jack grinned, "We sharing a brainwave at the moment?"

"Not in your life, Frostbite!" Bunnymund huffed and hopped back over to his column on the far side of the room, giving both of the other guardians the silent treatment as he turned his back to them.

"He is so funny!" Rustle exclaimed, coming into the room, holding an elf by its jingle bell hat one hand and his birch twig in the other. The elf was grinning from ear to ear and making a series of comical noises, and every so often Rustle would bust into a fit of laughter, as if the elf had told an amazing joke.

Jack, Bunny, and North all looked at one another in confusion.

"Oh! Welcome back, young one," North quickly produced another desk from practically thin air and made his way towards Rustle with a notebook and pencil in hand, but the Summer spirit had already taken up a perch next to Jack, crouching atop the winter spirit's desk.

North almost did a double take when looking at the two of them. Despite their different garments and hair styles, the two of them were so similar in attitude and demeanor that it was astonishing.

"Who're they?" Rustle motioned to the four figures.

"The man in the moon," Jack pointed to the first one, "Father Time, Mother Earth… and…" He stopped at the last one, turning to North, "Hey! Old man, who is she?"

"Nyhte," Rustle said, pointing at the last figure, a woman dressed in an elegant black dress which seemed dotted with starlight. She too had long, flowing hair, but it was dark as the midnight sky and completely void of any flowers or twigs sticking out from it.

"Correct, Rustle," North was definitely impressed, "How do you know of her?"

"She told me I was special," Rustle said with a smile.

"You've met the Lady of the Evening sky?" Bunnymund turned his head, looking at the blue-haired kid skeptically.

"Not exactly…" Rustle furrowed his brow, "But I remember her telling me that… and my name."

Jack looked at the boy, remembering how the Man in the Moon had said something similar to him. Was Rustle a spirit created by someone other than the Man in the Moon?

"Do you know what this means?" North said, crouching down and placing a hand on each of Rustle's shoulders. The old man had a wild look of excitement in his eyes.

"Um… no." Both Jack and Rustle looked at one another blankly and then back at North as if he were crazy.

"This is a spirit of the Twilight!" He picked up the young boy and spun him around with a whoop. "She has not created a spirit in ages! Most of them have faded from the world as we know it!"

"Aye," Bunny said seriously, "And for good reason!" The rabbit hopped front and center, "Most of the twilight spirits wound up like Pitch Black… or worse."

"Rustle isn't like that!" Jack snapped, jumping up into Bunnymund's face.

"He isn't now! But give him a few decades!"

"He's had hundreds!" Jack yelled, "Hundreds of decades all by himself, and he isn't like that! I wasn't like that either!"

"Whoa there! Easy now, Jack, no one said anything about you!" Bunny held up his hands to calm the winter spirit.

"Yeah… I'm sure you probably had this same conversation multiple times before I became a Guardian!" Jack glared at the rabbit before storming off in a huff, leaving behind a bewildered Rustle-who regarded the entire seen with a look of minor annoyance. He found the Easter Bunny to be loud and insufferable, and, after a moment's thought, the Summer spirit decided he didn't really like the rabbit all that much.

Bunnymund made up his mind quickly to go after Jack, but one of North's massive hands stopped him.

"Oy! Mate, lemme go!" he snapped at the older Guardian.

"Is not wise decision," North said simply. Pointing towards Rustle who was now curiously following Jack. "You would only make things worse."

"Worse? I just wanna apologize to the kid," Bunny ruffled.

"Aye, but life has not been so easy for Jack Frost," the old man looked down at the now empty corridor with a look of intense sorrow, "Things have been good this past year, but before? He was just like this Rustle… alone… lost… invisible. Which of us can say we understand how that feels?"

Bunny made to speak up, wanting to say that he understood better than anyone what being invisible felt like. After losing Easter back in the battle with Pitch, a child had walked right through him. Bunnymund opened his mouth to speak; however, North fixed him with a knowing glance and the Easter spirit froze.

Did he really understand? He had lost the children for less than a day, and that feeling of invisibility had been unbearable. He'd shrunk to nothing more than a fluffy, grey rabbit… smaller than some you might find in a pet store. Who knows how much longer he would have lasted had they not defeated Pitch. If Bunnymund were honest with himself, and this was a thought that had nagged him for months now, he probably would have faded away.

Jack had been like that for over three hundred years, and if Rustle was to be believed… almost a thousand.

"How do they stand it?" Bunny asked with a ragged breath.

North smiled, "They are strong spirits… that Jack Frost in particular."

* * *

**A/N -**

**And there we go! Another chapter. Till next time! Read/Review/Recommend! The only three R's that matter! **

**I went back and edited some on Chapter 2. I hate making stupid mistakes like that. If you every catch anything, please let me know. I'm not an author who gets mad at her errors being pointed out. Point them out and I will fix them. I like a quality product, but after reading something so many times, it is easy to miss little things here and there.**

**As for Rustle... I'm really starting to enjoy his character, though I can't wait to develop him further. I also really like this dynamic between Bunny and Jack. There are so many Snowbunny? (JackRabbit? FrostBunny? Don't know what you call it, they need to nail that down, but…) there are so many fics with the two of them that they are all the BEST of friends... and I don't think that would have happened. There is probably a level of respect between the two of them now, but there is a long way to work towards them being the best of friends... or more. So I like that I am going to get to develop that as well.**

**For people wondering what the romance is going to wind up looking like? I like to be realistic. In life, people have friends, they have romantic interests, friends who become romantic interests... people tend to be attracted to multiple people at the same time. I think Jack Frost would be the same way, once he starts thinking about those sorts of things... and well me, I love a good Love Tetrahedon, so... yeah! Expect some twists and turns in the future, there may be a little fan service for everyone out there with what I have planned (but not like something silly, just... there will be genuine moments between all of the characters, even if it seems like Rustle is getting more spotlight than he should. What can I say? His momma's proud of him!) I'm going to be working hard to make certain that he is a justifiable OC.**


	5. Like a Lightning Bolt

**This is probably my favorite chapter yet! Please enjoy!**

**Also, a great big thank you to reader blackkyu, who accounts for 60% of my reviews thus far. This chapter is for you. :)**

_Chaptered edited: 12/27/12_

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**Chapter 4**

Jack Frost had stormed out of North's workshop without looking back, muttering and mumbling… sometimes even grumbling under his breath about the infuriating, clueless, idiotic Easter Bunny. Jack didn't quite understand why, or how, the Easter spirit managed to get under his skin so easily, and, true, Jack had probably overreacted, but everything he said had been truth. He and Rustle weren't so different, and if spirits who were ignored ended up fading away, or turning evil in order to survive… then hadn't Jack been in that same boat little more than a year ago?

What truly had angered Jack more than anything was that he had started to actually like that damn Kangaroo! Well, at least Jack hadn't minded being in the same room as him, and the battle of cleverly swapped, insulting nicknames was enjoyable, but every time he and Bunnymund started to get on some sort of even ground, where they might not be at odds with one another… that over stuffed Holiday icon had to go and open that big Aussie trap of his and ruin everything!

And what about Rustle? Bunny hadn't even taken into account that Rustle had been RIGHT THERE, able to hear everything the rabbit was saying. Jack would never condone talking behind someone's back, but you didn't say those kinds of things to people, not unless you were trying to be mean… and Rustle? Jack couldn't even being to comprehend how that spirit managed to keep it together.

_That summer spirit must have a core of pure optimism_! Jack thought, exhaling a sigh of exasperation as he threw himself backwards, landing in a nice, comfy snow drift. Jack stuck his staff in the ground, placing both hands behind his head and looked up at the moon. "Now would be a great time to explain why you keep the Kangaroo around, Manny," he muttered.

Like always, the moon did not respond, which only served to further darken Jack's mood. "Fine…" he muttered, closing his eyes and just enjoying the cold winds as they whipped snow around him playfully. The winter weather was probably Jack's closest friend, and his attitude probably had the wind a little worried. It brought a smile, however small, to Jack's lips as he listened to the gusts dance around him.

The weather was less complicated than people.

The sound of crunching snow caused the young frost spirit's ears to perk up, and Jack could tell it was the sound of footsteps approaching his location. "Go away, Bunny! I don't want to talk." The footsteps stopped right next to Jack's head, but the he didn't open his eyes.

"I thought he was a Kangaroo?"

At that, Jack's eyes popped open, and he found himself face-to-face with Rustle, who was crouched down and leaning over him, their noses barely an inch apart. Jack's ice blue eyes locked with Rustle's, which were blue like the warmth of a summer sea, and momentarily Jack forgot about everything. He forgot about being angry at Bunny, forgot that he should probably be startled with another person so close to his face that apparently Rustle had taken a leaf out of North's book on "How to Ignore Personal Bubbles", forgot that Rustle's presence would cause the snow to melt, so now his head was lying in a puddles of fresh grass and slush… Jack forgot everything but how to laugh, which for some inexplicable reason... he did.

Jack let out a belly full of laughter, rolling over and clutching his stomach. "Well… I call him that, but… ha ha ha! He doesn't like it!"

"Must be the accent then," Rustle grinned, "Cause he could have fooled me."

"Yeah," Jack sat up, sobering from his fit of giggles, "Sorry about what happened in there."

"Why?" Rustle tilted his head, obviously curious as to why Jack would be the one apologizing.

Jack opened his mouth, prepared to speak, but he couldn't really come up with a reason for why he was apologizing. "I guess…" he sighed, "For my outburst?"

"Got us out of class didn't it?" Rustle grinned.

"That it did," Jack smirked, looking out over the dark, frozen landscape of the North Pole. "I guess, I'm really more… concerned. What Bunny said was wrong."

Rustle moved to sit next to Jack, "That's not your fault."

"Yeah, but…"

"People are going to say things, Jack. Sometimes they don't really mean to hurt others, and sometimes they do…" Rustle leaned back on his hands and shrugged lightly, "I learned a long time ago that I didn't really care what other people thought about me. If I did, then I probably would have faded away…" then he turned to the winter spirit and grinned, a rather mischievous grin, "…or gone mad. I find that it is easier to just be who you are and let other people get used to the idea."

"You aren't as crazy as you pretend to be, are you?" Jack asked, stunned at this whole new side to the summer spirit. It's not that he hadn't expected Rustle to be capable of meaningful conversation, but up until that point the only thing Jack had witnessed from the Summer spirit had been the innocent playfulness of a child. Perhaps Jack Frost was also guilty of making assumptions about a person just from their appearance?

"I like to think of myself as insanely normal," Rustle chuckled.

"Why the act though?" Jack looked at the summer spirit with concern, "Seems like an awful lot of work to come across to other people as a space case."

Rustle frowned, his eyes getting a rather dark hue to them, as if it were an unpleasant question to consider. For a moment, Jack wondered if the other boy was going to answer him at all. Finally, Rustle let out a sigh and ran a hand over his faces, starting at his forehead and dragging it down until his fingertips rested on his lips. "It's the biggest prank you can pull," Rustle said softly, "To make them think that you're clueless... an idiot. They never assume that deep down inside, _you're_ actually the one mocking _them_. You get the last laugh."

"I don't follow..."

"It's easier," Rustle explained. "If you wear a mask, then people never truly get to see who you are. It's one thing if they ignore you and despise you, but they do so without even knowing who you are. That makes them sad and pathetic. But... if the know who you are and they still do that? What does that say about you?"

Letting out a sigh, Rustle flopped onto his back and looked up at the shimmering blanket of stars that hung above them, "I guess I started doing it as a defense mechanism."

"That's a crappy defense mechanism," Jack grumbled.

"Yep." Rustle agreed, "But it got fun after awhile. I mean, come on! I swapped out almost half a million Easter eggs and didn't even get caught."

"Heh," Jack smirked, "I would have loved to see that."

"No..." Rustle's eyes widened as the Post Traumatic Stress set in from the memories of all those chickens, "Trust me! With great pranks come heavy burdens."

Jack imagined that there was a small ounce of truth to that. He'd pulled a prank on Bunnymund back in '68. While it had been hilarious at the time and Jack done it primarily for attention, that prank had caused a rather large rift in Jack's relationship with the Easter spirit. Bunny had a tendency to hold grudges, and Jack was always stubborn, so they were only now coming to terms with one another over a prank that happened more than four decades ago.

Thinking about his own circumstances caused Jack to wonder if perhaps Rustle had followed the same line of thought. Perhaps the Summer spirit was also seeking attention? That would explain a great deal. Rustle was hiding a whole mess of insecurity and uncertainty underneath that "mask" of child-like innocence. The blue-haired boy claimed that it was a defense mechanism, but Jack suspected that it was more like a security blanket now.

"So..." Jack ventured, "You're a twilight spirit. Like Pitch Black?"

"I suppose so," Rustle murmured, focused on the stars.

"What's that like?"

"I dunno," Rustle shrugged.

"Well, you're kinda like siblings, right?"

"What's it like being a moon spirit?" Rustle asked.

"Ok," Jack laughed, "Good point."

"I don't know much about where I came from," the blue haired boy confessed.

"Trust me," Jack sighed, looking up at the moon, "I know the feeling."

The two of them sat there in silence for a long while… long enough that Rustle's presence had completely cleared away the snow in a large circle around where they were sitting, and that a nice, lush carpet of green grass had sprouted beneath them. Jack's presence, however, kept the air cool and brisk as the winds continued to dance around them, filled with flocks of snow flurries and frosting the tips of the grass just long enough for the emerald blades to look crystalline before the frost melted into beads of dew that glistened in the moonlight… freezing into diamonds before evaporating away into a distant memory.

Perhaps neither of the boys noticed the perfect harmony of Summer and Winter, or just how perfectly calm everything seemed in that instant, but Jack Frost was no longer angry, and Rustle had found a period in his life where he wasn't alone, so for the two of them this moment was a perfect as it needed to be.

Well… almost.

"Jack?"

"Hmmm?" the winter spirit turned as the other boy called his name.

"What's a snowball fight like?"

Jack looked at Rustle in disbelief, "You've never been in a snowball fight?"

"Nope," Rustle frowned, reaching outside the circle and picking up a handful of snow, but before he could even start to form it into a ball, the snow had melted. "See…?"

That was indeed a problem, Jack frowned, his brow furrowed as he thought quickly about how to help a summer spirit have a winter frolic. Perhaps Rustle could mute his powers long enough for Jack's to take over? That could always be a solution. Or… perhaps Jack could create some impervious snowballs? No… those would end up being to hard to throw at some one.

"Rustle, do you think you could stop your powers?" Jack questioned tentatively.

The boy thought about it, "In theory, yes. I've never tried."

"Neither have I," Jack pursed his lips.

"First time for everything," Rustled smiled, standing up and looking down at the grass. At first it appeared to Jack as if the Summer spirit were having a staring contest with the ground, then Rustle closed his eyes. The world around them seemed to stand perfectly still. The wind stopped, snow held suspended in the air as if it were thick like molasses, and the grass around Rustle's feet seemed to hum and vibrate, creating a harmonic vibe that stretched out through the night. The hum grew in volume, and Jack started to notice changes around him: the edges of the grass circle were actually starting to let snow stick, then snow that landed in the center of the circle didn't instantly melt. The frost had started to remain on the grass. It was working.

"Whatever you're doing,' Jack whispered. "Keep doing that." Not wanting to break the boy's concentration, Jack took a hop back, landing lightly in the snow and summoned a snowball.

"Jack?" Rustle's head turned towards the noise of crunching snow, "Is it working?"

"Yeah," the winter spirit grinned. "Open your eyes."

Rustle did as he was told, and when he opened them, he was standing in a winter wonderland. Yes, the ground right under his feet was still green as the middle of summer, but snow was falling all around him and he could even stick his tongue out and catch a snowflake, feeling the cool touch of winter as it melted normally. It was so exciting that Rustle turned to Jack with his biggest grin yet, "Would you look at tha-"

The boy's exclamation was ended by a snowball directly to the face. Rustle opened his mouth, sputtering, aghast that something like that had just happened. Then he shouted with excitement, reaching down and throwing a hand full of snow at Jack. It wasn't a snowball, more like a splash of white powder that cover the winter spirit from head-to-shoulders, but Jack started grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"That was so not fair!" Rustle laughed, running away from Jack to make another snowball, an ACTUAL snowball this time.

"All's fair in a snow war!" Jack countered, taking a running jump and skating pasted Rustle, using his staff to make a circle of snowballs around the Summer spirit. Rustle eagerly picked them up and began throwing them at Jack as fast as he could, but the nimble winter spirit dodged like the snow game expert that he was.

"Aww…" Rustle pouted as his next throw missed Jack by just a hair.

"Ha ha!" Jack decided to play fair, sticking his staff in the ground and dropping to his feet. It was better to level the playing field so they could both enjoy themselves. Jack picked up a snowball from the ground and pelted Rustle in the back, "Over here slowpoke!"

Rustle turned and pretty soon the game developed into a flurry of airborne snow artillery as neither boy gave any ground, but the number of snowballs just increased.

"Agh!" Rustle cried between giggles, "Not fair! You can throw so many…" he held up his hands to shield his face from the barrage Jack sent his way, about to get completely overwhelmed when suddenly there was a flare of lightning. Brilliant blue currents of electrical energy surrounded Rustle and struck the snowballs, causing them to explode into a flurry of glittering blue flakes that sparked and danced across the night sky. Jack and Rustle both stood speechless, watching the dazzling spectacle with awe.

Looking down at his feet, Rustle noticed that the circle of greenery had already tripled in size and was growing rapidly. "Awwww… I lost control of it."

"It's ok," Jack grinned, still watching the last of the dancing, electrical snowflakes as they sparked and fizzled into nonexistence. Then he suddenly got an idea, "Hey! …do you think you could do that again?"

Rustle looked offended, "What do you think? You can conjure snowballs, but I can't make a little lightning?" As if to prove his point, Rustle held up his right hand and shot Jack the "peace" sign. Between his index and middle finger arched a tiny, blue bolt of electricity.

"Sweet!" Jack grinned mischievously, "Hit this!" With that Jack summoned a snowball and threw it high into the air.

Without hesitation, Rustle spun, gauging where the snowball was going to be, and he flicked his fingers towards the sky. Lightning jumped from his hand and spat through the air with crackle, striking the snowball and exploding into another dazzling display of dancing, electrical snowflakes which plumed outwards like a palm tree.

"That is awesome!" Jack shouted, jumping up and down excitedly like a little kid who just discovered a new game, "Can't you believe it! We…" he motioned to himself and Rustled excitedly, "We can make fireworks!"

Rustle's nose scrunched as he thought about it, "Wait… wouldn't they be… snow works?"

"Even better!" Jack said with a grin, already conjuring a whole pile of snowballs. He shot Rustle a look that said: this is gonna be fun.

To which Rustle gave him a look that said: ready when you are.

There was a pause, then Jack grabbed his staff, swinging it like a golf club at the pile of snowballs. They launched into the air, arching, soaring and streaming into the sky… dozens of projectiles all waiting for the spark of life until they became something so much more than a simple, ball of snow.

It took Rustle a second or two to get his bearings, doing his best to gauge every snow ball; then he threw his arm out wide, as if throwing a Frisbee, and dozens of streaks of lightning arched out across the night sky. On impact, the North Pole light up like the Fourth of July, dozens of brilliant blue explosions lighting up the night. Jack and Rustle both started to jump up and down, cheering and hollering with excitement as the storm of tiny, electric snowflakes jittered and jumped their way through the night.

The sheer commotion drew the attention of elves and Yeti alike, who all came to the closest window or doorway they could find, watching a spectacle that could rival or even surpass the Aurora Borealis, and for a moment the end of the world was silent with wonder.

"Hey! Jack Frost!" North's voice bellowed from above them, and Jack looked up to see the old man standing on the balcony of the Globe Room, "Why you make my Yeti stop working! Is almost Christmas!"

"Sorry!" Jack grinned sheepishly, looking guilty, but giving a hidden conspiratorial glance to Rustle. "But did you see that!?" Jack asked the Guardian of Wonder.

"Oh, yes! Very beautiful," North chuckled, "You had Bunny hiding under table screaming: Is Vietnam all over again!"

Jack chuckled, recalling the time that the Bunny had told him of the Easter where he had been trying out a new tunnel, weeks before the holiday. It was part of his yearly preparations, and the new tunnel was supposed to be a shortcut, shaving nearly half an hour off his egg route travel time. Instead it had brought him above ground: smack dab into the middle of a Napalm bombardment during the Vietnam war. The whole thing had sounded terrifying, and the Easter spirit couldn't tell the story without getting jitters. Jack even got a temporary feeling of guilt from his conscience for causing the disruption, but the idea of E. Aster Bunnymund hiding under a table in Santa's Workshop… it was too glorious of an image not to laugh. So he did.

North smiled, "Is good to see you are in better mood. Why not come inside now and stop elves? They are trying to create exploding snowball, and I am holding you personally responsible."

Jack shrugged at Rustle and started walking towards the workshop, "You wanna come… seeing as how you are half responsible?"

Rustle nodded eagerly, "Yup!"

With that, the two of them walked out of the night and into the warmth of the Workshop, leaving nothing but a few sparkling snowflakes fluttering in the winter breeze behind them.

* * *

**A/N**

**And there we have it. Another Chapter finished and sent to the presses. Feel free to listen to Katy Perry's Firework while reading this chapter.**

**I expect that people may or may not enjoy this (and this wasn't really what I had planned to write), but I had the image come to me in my sleep last night, and I really liked the idea of exploding, electric snowballs. Yes, scientifically it wouldn't work that way… but, hey! It's magic right?**

**Anyhow, I expect reviews. I know that dozens of you are out there looking… possibly reading this story. So at least say hi… or tell me that I am so amazing! *bats eyelashes* Or tell me to get writing lessons, I don't care either way.**

**Until next time! Things are going to start picking up here soon, it can't all be fun times and snow ball fights. Stay tuned!**


	6. Something Fluffy, Something Foreboding

**Disclaimer: infer the obvious.**

**A shorter chatper this time, but I kinda hit a wall writing myself out of the Workshop. I finally came up with an idea, but... anyhow, shorter than expected.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

With the help of Jack and Rustle, North was able to prevent the Great Elf Armament of 2012. All explosives were removed from the workshop, along with flammable liquids and cleaning chemicals. The elves were then sent off to create a new kind of Christmas light, which everyone knew would keep them occupied until they saw something shinier, by then all thoughts of exploding snowballs would have been forgotten. Christmas was saved.

It wasn't long until Jack decided it was time to head out. North needed to continue prepping for his holiday, and Jack didn't want to overstay his welcome, no matter how many times the jolly Guardian of Wonder offered for the Workshop to be his home. Jack didn't feel comfortable staying in one place for too long, and if he were to ever settle down somewhere? It would have to be Burgess. He'd always considered the small town to be his home, and the lake where his old life had ended and his new life as Jack Frost began… that seemed right. Jack enjoyed his visits to the other Guardians and their mystical headquarters, but he needed his own area. The Winter spirit felt he would never be a proper Guardian unless he made his own way in the world.

"Are you certain you must leave so soon?" North asked, looking a little sad that the boy was departing.

"Yeah," Jack shook the older Guardian's hand and found himself pulled into a bear hug, "Oof!" When North deposited him back on the ground he continued, "I've got to get back to delivering snow, and I'm certain you have work you need to do. Besides, you have the Kangaroo around to keep you company."

"Not so," North frowned, "Bunny only stopped by to deliver news. Appears he is leaving as well."

Jack looked in the Easter Bunny's direction, "I see… what kind of news?"

"Bunny saw nightmare in the tunnels," North explained, "He wanted the other Guardians to be on the alert. He was coming to pay you a visit next; if I am not mistaken."

"It's not Pitch again is it?"

"I am not thinking so," North stroked his beard, "The nightmares seem to be running wild these days. Sandy has only seen two since Pitch vanished… Toothiana and I haven't seen one at all."

"But should we check, just to be certain?"

"There have always been nightmares, Jack," the old guardian looked at the Winter spirit with a warm smile, pleased that he was concerned, "We put them down when we see them, but we cannot stop them from happening. Children will be afraid… is sometimes good thing. Fear can teach one many valuable lessons, _especially_ if one conquers their fear." Their was a twinkle in North's eye as he said this, giving Jack a smile that offered both reassurance and mirth.

"Alright..." Jack remembered his own fears, how they had almost halted him from becoming a guardian. He'd learned a great deal from overcoming them, so what North said made a great deal of sense to the boy. "Well I'm going to be off then. I think Rustle might like some company on the flight home, plus I don't want him getting lost."

"Is probably good idea. Summer Spirit wandering North Pole…" North chuckled, "The adults will start yelling about Global Warming, and we do not need invasion of scientists this close to Christmas."

"Thanks for the history lesson old man! See you around!" Jack waved good bye and ran over to where Rustle and Bunnymund were standing.

"Look, Sunshine, I already told you… I'm not a Kangaroo."

"But you have ears like one," Rustle protested, pulling one of the rabbit's ears as if that were proof.

"Watch it!" Bunny yanked his ear free, glaring at the blue haired kid, "That's a good way to get yourself a boomerang for Christmas!"

Rustle looked as if that might have been the greatest Christmas present in the world, and something about the look on the Summer spirit's face made Jack afraid that he would try to pull Bunny's other ear, so rather than let that catastrophe play out, Jack Frost did the mature Guardian thing and interrupted.

"I see that Fluffy here has given you a nickname," Jack winked at the rabbit, "You're now part of a very exclusive club."

"Really?" Rustle's eyes widened.

"Yep, only Jack Frost and the Easter Bunny are members," Jack paused, "Well… North too I guess. Since he gets called old man."

"That is so cool," Rustle grinned.

"You ready to go?" Jack asked.

Rustle nodded, holding out his hand to the Easter Bunny. "It was a pleasure meeting you this time."

"Yeah… a real pleasure," Bunny said sarcastically, eyeing the offered hand warily. Still, not wanting to be rude, he took Rustle's hand and shook it firmly.

What happened next was possibly the funniest thing Jack had seen all year. It was definitely the funniest thing he had seen all day, that was for certain. There was a small crackle, kind of like the sound of being zapped by static electricity, and then all of Bunnymund's fur stood out-on-end. The Easter Bunny when from normal to fluffy in 0.5 seconds, and both Jack and Rustle busted out in peals of laughter.

"You little blighter!" Bunny said incredulously, looking down at his poofed-out fur, "You change it back now!"

"You look good, Fluffy," Jack said through a break in his giggles. He was doubled over, holding his sides because the laughter had started to hurt at this point. "Kinda like a chinchilla!"

"I swear! If you start calling me that, mate, we are gonna have serious problems." He made a dive for the winter spirit, but Jack launched himself into the air and Bunny ended up diving headfirst into a snow bank.

"See you around Kangaroo!"

"Oy! Get back here! You too, Sunshine! You gotta fix this. I can't go around looking like a cotton ball!"

Rustle waved goodbye, but he and Jack were already too high in the air to hear the frantic protests of an embarrassed Easter Bunny, and, even if they had heard them, it was unlikely they would have done anything to help. The sight of a six foot tall, extremely fluffy rabbit was one of the eight hilarious wonders of the world. Rustle should know, he'd been keeping track of hilarious things for hundreds of years.

Bunnymund was left yelling into the wind, and he decided that there was no point in wasting his breath further. Running his paws over his fur, Bunny tried to flatten his coat back to normal but was having very little luck for his efforts. As if to place icing on top of his already atrocious series of events, North chose that moment to walk up and say goodbye.

"What's this?" the burly man chuckled, "I thought big hair died out in eighties, Bunny?"

"Parting gift from that blue haired brat," Bunny griped, "Did you get a chance to tell Jack about the nightmares?"

"I did. Told him it was nothing to be worried about."

"Nothing to be worried about?!" Bunny shouted, whirling on the Guardian of Wonder. "That nightmare was mapping the tunnels, and Sandy said they were following his dream route. These aren't just wild nightmares North! Someone has them organized!"

"We do not know this for certain," North countered.

"I'll bet mah egg basket on it."

"Until we know more, there is no cause for worries." North shrugged, "Besides, Manny has given no warning. Is no need for alarm."

"That doesn't mean we rest on our laurels!" Bunny growled, poking North in the chest with a paw.

"WE are not resting!" the large man boomed, "We are taking care of things on our end, and the others have been notified. Until we know more, let Jack go about his business."

"No!" Bunny's voice rose louder than he meant it to, and his ears flattened in embarrassment. "No…"

After a few moments of thought, he tapped his foot on the ground and opened a passage to his tunnels. "Last time Pitch caught us with our pants down. I'm not gonna let that happen again. I'm going to warn Jack like I originally intended to… you enjoy Christmas, mate."

"Bunny, wait!" North barked, but it was too late. The Rabbit had already leapt into his hole and vanished. Throwing his hands up into the air and shouting in Russian, North stomped back into his workshop, barking orders and shouting commands to the Yeti. He even demanded that the painter change all of the toy cars yellow instead of red, and act probably performed out of spite more than anything else… but North had to vent his frustration in some manner. Why not this way?

As the doors to the workshop closed, a figure detached itself from the shadows. While the had been arguing, neither of the Guardians had noticed the nightmare which had been lurking in the shadows listening to their every word. The black sand horse pawed the snow anxiously, making sure that no one was watching before it took to the skies.

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**A/N**

**Whew! this was one of those chapters where you just don't quite know where it is headed. Chapter 4 was easy, I had a vision. Then I had an idea of what I needed to happen next, but I had no idea how to get the characters where they needed to be. Hopefully this was a worthwhile chapter and you weren't bored, my dear readers!**

**Things start picking up very soon. So until next time! Read/Review/Recommend me to your friends.**

**Love you all, and enjoy your holidays as the school semester starts winding down.**


	7. A Kiss to Build a Dream On, Almost

**Disclaimer: I own Rustle O. Thunder. Hands off. Dreamworks owns Rise of the Guardians. Duh.**

**Warning: There is fluffy stuff in this chapter. Yes, fluffy things and our first hint of boy/boy attraction. So. Yeah... fair warning.**

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**Chapter 6**

The flight home seemed to take only seconds. Something about flying on a warm breeze combined with a cool jet stream just made things faster, or Jack could have been lost in thought. All he knew was that he could see Burgess on the horizon and even though the sun was about to rise, there was still a familiar sight there to welcome him home.

Jack spotted the golden sand streams all converging on a large cloud, and he knew that Sandman was ending his route in Jack's hometown even before he saw the tiny, golden man.

"Is that?" Rustle asked nervously.

"Yep! That's Sandy," Jack grinned, "Looks like he is finishing up for the night."

Sandman was probably the Guardian with whom Jack had the best relationship. Perhaps it was because Sandy never spoke, so communicating with him was always a simple affair, or perhaps it was because the golden Man of Dreams seemed to treat Jack like an equal rather than a child? All Jack knew at this moment was that he was glad to see Sandy.

It wasn't like this was a rare occurrence. Ever since they had defeated Pitch, Sandman had changed his route to end with Burgess. Jack suspected that the eldest of the Guardians was constantly checking to see if Pitch might return to get revenge on the children, whom Sandy owed his life too. Had it not been for the bravery of Jamie and his friends, Sandman might have been lost to the darkness forever, and ever since he had returned in all of his golden glory, Sandy had made it his personal mission to keep these particular children safe.

It made Jack feel reassured too. With Sandman watching over Jamie and his family every night, Jack didn't feel badly about leaving the country to tend to his wintry duties. It was also comforting to know that every night, after a long day of Guardian's work… he could return home to a familiar face.

Sandy must have caught sight of Jack as well, because the large cloud of golden dream sand had morphed into a gigantic manta ray and had begun flying in his and Rustle's direction. Jack met the dream keeper head on, tackling the pint-sized, golden spirit in a flying hug. The two of them went spinning through the air, Jack laughing and Sandman creating a laughing emoticon above his head. Lately Sandy had really been upping his repertoire of silent, pictographic communication.

"Nice one, Sand Man!" Jack grinned.

Sandy shrugged, but he grinned back nonetheless. He looked over Jack's shoulder, and his eyes widened, an exclamation point appearing over his head.

"Oh! Sandy," Jack pulled Rustle over, "This is my new friend, Rustle O. Thunder."

Above the dream keeper's head appeared a quick series of pictures: Rustle, followed by a bucket of water, followed by an umbrella, followed by a picture of Rustle surrounded by a circle with a slash through it.

"Wait, you've met before?"

Sandy nodded. His arms crossed as he stared daggers at Rustle.

Jack looked at Rustle, "What is he talking about?"

"Um…" the blue haired spirit blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head. "He's probably referencing the time that I tried to pour a bucket of water on him."

"Wait…" Jack was torn, caught between laughing or being horrified at the incredibly ridiculous idea of Rustle chasing Sandman around with a bucket of water, "Why would you do that?"

"To see if he turned into mud!" Rustle explained, holding both arms out towards Sandy, pointing with emphasis, "Haven't you ever wondered what Mudman could do?"

Sandy looked mortified, hiding behind Jack and poking his head out. A finger appeared over Sandy's head, wagging at Rustle and clearly saying: "No. No. No."

Jack sighed, and pulled Sandy out from behind him, "He's not going to pour water on you… right?" The winter spirit hesitantly looked at Rustle, not certain if Sandy were actually safe from the blue-haired spirit's curiosity.

"Nope," Rustle held up his right hand and used his left to make a x-shaped motion over his chest, "Cross my heart."

"There! See?" Jack smiled at Sandy, "We can all be friends. Speaking of which…" Jack turned to look down the street at a familiar house, "Is Jamie still asleep?"

Sandy nodded, giving Jack a knowing smile.

"Rustle! Come on, I want you to meet someone!"

"Who's Jamie?" Rustle cocked his head curiously, unruly locks of blue hair flopping in front of his eyes.

"I'll show you!" Jack sped off through the air, treading lightly across rooftops so as not to wake any of the children from their last moments in dreamland. Sandy's dreams were all masterpieces and should be enjoyed for their fullest duration if possible.

For his part, Rustle followed just as delicately. He was a bit nervous about meeting a kid, after all… he'd never met one personally in all of his years of being a spirit. The prospect was a little daunting. What did one say to a kid?

Jack landed lightly on the roof of a white house, smaller than some of the others they had traveled across, but still decent sized for a growing family. He dropped down off the edge of the roof and came to sit on the window sill of Jamie's room. The boy was still warmly snuggled under his blankets, and, lo-and-behold, a golden dream of a snowball fight was playing around in the dream sand above Jamie's head.

Rustle floated down beside Jack. "That would be a good dream," the blue-haired spirit grinned, recalling the fight he and Jack had previously waged that night.

"Yeah," Jack sighed, "Jamie loves winter. He was the first kid who ever believed in me, y'know?"

"Really," Rustle pressed his forehead against the window to get a closer look at the child's room. There were pictures all over the walls. Pictures of snow forts, sledding, Christmas trees, and even pictures of Jack Frost. They didn't do the winter spirit justice, Rustle thought, but… there he was. Jack Frost was hand-drawn by a child, and Rustle had the sudden feeling of sadness. He wanted that too.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked, picking up on the Summer spirit's obvious mood swing.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Jack asked, looked back at the sleeping Jamie.

"Get him to believe in you?"

"Honestly?" Jack chuckled at the memory, "I made him believe in the Easter Bunny first."

"What?" Rustle looked shocked, "Really?"

"Yep!" Jack chuckled, "Long story short? There were some bad things going down a year ago, and Jamie almost stopped believing in everything. I made a snow bunny, well a bunny out of frost and snow is what I mean, and I sent it into Jamie's room. He tried to touch it and the thing dissipated! His whole room started to get covered in snow, and when one of the snowflakes touched his nose… he just seemed to know. He said my name, and I was so excited! And then… he saw me."

"Wow…" Rustle breathed. That must have been one magical night. Any time spent with Children had always seemed magical to the Summer spirit, even times where he was sitting in the parks, unseen, but still causing little things to happen. A warm summer breeze to make their kite's fly higher, the grass to be higher so they wouldn't hurt themselves rolling down a hill, making puddles for the kids to jump in… Rustle enjoyed children.

But how do you get a child to believe in you, when they don't even know your name?

"You're lucky," Rustle sighed.

"How so?" Jack wondered. He wasn't arguing with the Summer spirit. Jack knew he was lucky. He had children who believed in him, he'd been made a Guardian, and now he had a new friend. If anyone was thankful for how lucky their life had turned out, it was Jack Frost.

"You have that song," Rustle whispered the few lines from one of the only Christmas song's he knew, "Jack Frost nippin' at your nose."

Jack blushed slightly, "Yeah…"

"So that's your secret, eh?" Rustle looked at him mischievously, "You nip their noses, and they believe."

"Excuse me!?" Jack almost fell off the window sill in embrassment, "I have _never _nipped anyone's nose! At most a random snowflake did the work for me!"

"So you have a _no nose nipping policy_ then?" Rustle grinned, turning from the window to look directly at Jack.

Jack Frost was suddenly aware of how close the two of them were, both perched there on Jamie's window sill, and the blush on his cheeks threatened to turn a deep violet, which confused Jack. Why on earth was he blushing, now of all times? "Um, not exactly? Just haven't really felt the need to… y'know? Nip."

"Well then, whoever gets that first nip will be the luckiest person on the planet," Rustle's smile was warm as he said it, completely genuine in his sincerity. The Summer spirit's eyes seemed to sparkle as the first rays of morning sunlight peaked over the horizon, shining like twin sapphires.

Jack was a little mesmerized. At a loss for anything to say, he found himself leaning forward. _Just to get a closer look,_ he told himself, but then why was his heart starting to beat so quickly? Was it his imagination or was Rustle blushing as well? They were only inches apart, Jack closed his eyes as he leaned over to close that last little gap, guided by a desire he couldn't quite explain.

"Jack!?"

Jamie's voice cut through the fog in Jack's brain, apparently Rustle's too because both spirit's startled and quickly put space between one another. Jack felt like his face must be nothing but blazing violet at this point, but luckily Rustle was looking the other way and couldn't see. Jack thanked the heavens for small miracles.

* * *

E. Aster Bunnymund came soaring out of his tunnels into the middle of a Burgess alley. It was the tunnel entrance he always used when coming to visit Jack, because it was where he was least likely to be spotted by anyone. There was even less of a chance that someone might accidentally walk into his tunnels, which had happened before actually, several times actually in the seventies. Those hippies, always wandering around in a daze, were a nightmare to work around. They may have seemed out of their minds half the time, but for some reason they were always able to spot his tunnel entrances. It ended being turned into some drug user's saying about "tumbling down the rabbit hole", which Bunny guessed would explain some things to a person who was _high_. Thankfully none of them actually remembered enough about his tunnels to accurately describe them, but, it was hard to get work done with hippies falling in your hole every time you opened up your tunnels. The whole experience had taught Aster to be much more careful with where he chose to enter and exit a town.

The rabbit's ears stood at alert, listening intently for signs of anything out of the ordinary. When he was satisfied the coast was clear, Bunny dashed into the shadows and headed for Jack's lake...

Which was abandoned. Bunny stood around looking at the frozen body of water and frowned. "Now... where would I be if I were Frostbite?" he muttered, ears bending down to scratch the top of his head as he thought. Then it hit him, "Jamie! Of course!" Bunny chastised himself for not checking the boy's house first. He sprinted off through the forest, swiftly on his way to Jack's second-favorite place in the world.

When he arrived at Jamie's house it was very easy to spot the winter Spirit. He was perched by the boy's window, just as Bunny had expected. What Bunny hadn't expected was for that Summer spirit to still be with Jack. A twinge of anger caused Bunny's ears to twitch, and he crossed his arms, leaning against a tree on the edge of the woods as he watched the two spirits talk and look into Jamie's bedroom.

"Now that's not creepy at all, Mates," Bunny muttered, "Just have your conversation and watch the little ankle biter sleep." Of course Bunny was completely oblivious that he was the pot calling the kettle black at this exact moment in time.

Why he was so irritated, Bunny couldn't rightly describe. He figured it had something to do with his resentment of the Summer spirit. What was his name again? Rustle? Yeah, that was probably it. Bunny had spent a good third of a century being angry at Jack for the Blizzard of '68, and the only reason Bunnymund had gotten over that incident was because Jack had more than made up for it during the fight with Pitch Black.

This Rustle on the other hand? Bunny was still angry with him. Why? Because Rustle had denied the children of hundreds, nay thousands, of wonderful Easter eggs, and his little prank had led Bunny think that there was some giant conspiracy going on. Then to top it off, that blue-haired brat had caused Jack to get angry at Bunny for no apparent reason! It wasn't Bunny's fault that twilight spirits ended up as bad eggs; it was just the way things had turned out. Look at Pitch Black!

But Jack was so protective of everyone. The winter spirit was naïve, too kind for his own good. Jack didn't realize that some people just couldn't be helped. This Rustle O. Thunder… something was wrong there. Bunny couldn't put his paw on it at the moment, but he would.

A sparkling light caught Bunnymund's attention out of the corner of his eye, and the Easter Bunny looked up to see a rope of golden sand drop from the sky and land on the ground beside him. A few seconds later, Bunny was greeted with the sight of Sandman sliding down the rope.

"Sandy! You golden rascal! How've been!" Bunny hadn't actually seen the Sandman in months. Their only direct line of communication had been through North. Bunny had been busy working on Easter prep, considering it was only four months away now, and Sandy had changed up his dream route, so the two Guardians didn't cross paths like they used to

Sandy created a series of pictures above his head. They told a story of how Sandy had seen an actual whale tonight when he was crossing the ocean, and how the creature had given him new dream ideas; how he had just finished his dream route and run in to Jack Frost; and how Jack now seemed to be hanging out with Rustle.

The last picture was a little golden Rustle O. Thunder, and then it was surrounded by a circle with a slash through it.

"Not a fan of the little blighter I take?" Bunny grinned.

With a frown Sandman shook his head, _No_. Then he paused and looked back at the house. Jack and Rustle seemed to be having a good time together. It brought a smile to Sandy's face, and he shrugged. A picture of Jack Frost appeared next to the crossed out Rustle. The image of Jack started brushing the circle away, removing the "no Rustle" sign. Once that was done the little golden Jack started holding hands with the little golden Rustle.

"Are you telling me you're gonna give the kid a chance?" Bunnymund frowned.

Sandy looked serious and nodded, fixing Bunny with his gaze. A fast stream of sand images appeared. It would have been incoherent to most, but Bunnymund was fluent in speaking to Sandy and got the gist of the message: _If Jack says he's okay, then the kid deserves a chance_.

"Yeah, well!" Bunny growled, "Did you know that Sunshine over there is actually a Twilight spirit?"

Sandy looked shocked, a question mark appearing over his head.

"Yeah, mate. He told us so himself," the rabbit sighed, "Said that Nyght told him he was special."

With a look of confusion, Sandman produced another series of images which asked: _Couldn't he be?_

"Maybe," Bunny growled, "I just don't like him." The Easter spirit turned his attention back to watching Jack and Rustle, so he couldn't see Sandy's silent laughter at his expense; however, Bunny could see the scene that was developing on the window sill. Jack was leaning in towards Rustle, and Bunnymund felt the fur on the back of his neck rise. Jack was going to kiss that annoying little summer brat!? No way!

It felt as if a ball of lead had settled in the pit of the Easter Bunny's stomach. He couldn't believe what was happening. Not only was he outraged at the thought of Jack kissing Rustle… but he, E. Aster Bunnymund, was jealous of the blue-haired summer spirit. That two-fold revelation was enough to make Bunny want to crawl in a hole somewhere and wallow in shame. The Easter Bunny was not supposed to get jealous.

Aster was transfixed, intently watching the scene before him, when suddenly the two spirits were startled, jumping apart. Not knowing which deity to start thanking first, Bunny sent out a silent thank you to all of them; then Jamie appeared at the window, and Bunnymund had never been so thankful for one particular child in his entire life. "Good on ya, Jamie. There's a good lad."

Sandy tugged on Bunny's elbow and gave him a look with a raised eyebrow. There were no sand pictures accompanying this look, but Bunnymund understood it all the same. The look asked: _And just why are you so happy_?

"No reason, Sandy…" Bunny sighed, "No reason at all."

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**A/N**

**And we are moving right along. I feel a bit of action in my bones, and I don't mean the romantic kind. Chapter 8 is shaping up to be quite a change of pace for this story. So, you better get ready!**

**As always, I appreciate the feedback. So, Read/Review/Recommend this story to other people. I'll see you all next time.**


	8. The Dream is Over

**Disclaimer: The usual… I don't own anything but my original character Rustle.**

**Also, I just wanted to thank everyone who has shown an interest in this story. I've received so many followers that I'm actually shocked. None of my stories have gotten this much attention that quickly (except for my current Naruto story, but it updates daily, so that's a who different issue entirely)! So thank you, everyone! I hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Jack! It is you!" Jamie grinned, rubbing his eyes and climbing out of bed. The little brunette pushed the window open and grinned up at Jack Frost, "When did you get back?! What are you doing out here?" Jamie looked around Jack, trying to see if maybe he was with the Tooth Fairy.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jamie! Slow down before you fall out of your own window." Jack held up his hands to stop Jamie from leaping at him. Once the boy had calmed a bit, Jack reached out and ruffled the kids hair, "I just got back into town and you're the first person I came to see!"

"Awesome! Are we gonna go sledding today?"

"You, sir, have school," Jack said with a tone of mock sternness.

"Awww…" Jamie stuck out his bottom lip, attempting to give Jack as most sad and pathetic face, "Can't you just make it a snow day?"

"Nope!" Jack crossed his arms, refusing to budge, "I got you out of two days last week. If I keep helping you skip school, then they will take away your winter break."

Jamie's eyes went wide in horror. He hadn't even thought of that, but missing winter break would be the worst thing ever. Those were two straight weeks that he could spend with Jack!

"That's what I thought," Jack chuckled. He looked at Rustle and winked.

"What are you doing?" Jamie grinned, looking at the Winter spirit as if he were doing something silly.

"Oh, just sharing something with a friend," Jack smiled.

"What friend?" Jamie peaked his head out the window to look for whomever Jack had with him, the boy's head passing right through Rustle's torso.

Jack looked at the kid in shock. Jaime couldn't see Rustle; the boy. who believed in everything from Santa Claus to Loch Ness and Big Foot, couldn't see the Summer spirit. What did that say for Rustle's chances of getting believed in?

"I don't see anyone," Jamie said dejectedly.

"Well, He's..." Jack was just about to explain, certain that if he told Jamie about Rustle then the boy would believe in him and the problem would be solved; however, before he could even get the words out, Rustle had placed a warm finger over Jack's lips. The Summer spirit gave Jack a sharp look, and shook his head "no".

"He just left, Jamie," Jack frowned, watching Rustle hop down off the window sill, "Sorry, you missed him."

"Was it the Easter Bunny?" Jamie asked excitedly, "He promised to teach me how to throw a Boomerang next time I saw him!"

"No…" Jack smiled lopsidedly, picturing that event though it would probably never happen, "Not the Easter Bunny."

"Then who?" Jamie asked curiously.

"I'm make sure to introduce you next time, promise!" Jack stood up, clutching his staff, "But listen, you've got to get ready for school, and I have work to do… but I promise I'll make it back in time to play with you this afternoon, okay?"

"Awesome!" Jamie cheered, jumping down from the window and rushing to go get ready for school, "See you later, Jack!"

"Later, Jamie," the Winter spirit, whispered after the disappearing child. Jack then turned his attention back to Rustle who had wandered off towards the woods.

"Yo! Wait up!" Jack sprinted after his new friend, "What happened back there?"

"Nothing," Rustle said with a grin, but something about it seemed fake. It was a little too forced.

"Yeah, try selling that to someone else. I'm not buying it."

Rustle sighed, "Really, Jack, it's nothing."

"It's not nothing!" Jack said exasperatedly, "If you'd have just let me tell Jamie about you, he would have seen you! Then he would have told his friends, and they would have seen you! It's how I started!"

"No!" Rustle spun around with a shout, "It's not!" Jack was taken aback. The normally lithe and happy summer spirit looked visibly distraught; Rustle's eyes were brimming with tears and his entire body was shaking as if he might break down into sobs.

"You got Jamie to believe in you because of something _you_ did, Jack!" Rustle explained, wiping the back of one of his hand across his yes, "How would you have felt if the Easter Bunny went up to Jamie and said, '_Crikey, that there is Jack Frost, Mate, and you should believe in 'im!_' I'm sure that would have been a dream come true!"

Jack wanted to laugh at Rustle's horrible impersonation of Bunny's Australian accent, but the moment just wasn't right for it. Instead he thought heavily about what Rustle had asked him, and Jack found out that he would have been angry… angry, dejected, and ashamed that he had needed someone else to make children believe him in. It was a nice gesture, but it was one that showed more pity that anything else.

"Rustle… I'm sorry! I was just trying to help."

"I know, Jack, but…" Rustle smiled. It wasn't a big smile, just the corner of the boy's mouth turning up, ever so slightly, "But getting Jamie, or any kid for that matter, to believe it me is something I have to do for myself."

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, "I understand."

They stood there in silence after that. Jack didn't quite know what to say, and he was certain that Rustle didn't want to talk, otherwise the Summer Spirit would have said something. Sometimes people just needed to have time to think about things. Thankfully, Jack spotted Bunnymund standing over by the edge of the woods; the Easter spirit was looking directly at him, motioning him over. Apparently the Kangaroo wanted to talk, which would give Jack an opportunity to leave the awkward silence.

"Hey! I'm gonna go over and talk to, Bunny for a second. You gonna be okay?" Jack looked at the blue-haired boy earnestly, forcing Rustle to make eye contact with him.

"Yep." Rustle nodded, "Right as rain."

"Y'know?" Jack grinned, "I made Jamie believe in the Easter Bunny, not the other way around."

"So you told me," Rustle smirked, "But from the way I hear it… you did that to save your friend. I don't need of saving. Right now, I'm alright."

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, not quite sure how to feel about his making Jamie believe in the Easter Bunny. Did the Kangaroo resent him because of that? It could explain the increased hostility between the two of them.

"I'll be back in a flash," Jack winked, rushing off to meet with Bunnymund and trying to push the feeling of guilt from his conscience.

"What's up, Cottontail? Couldn't get enough of me at the North Pole that you decided to make a house call?" Jack grinned, "I know I'm pretty and all, but gosh, talk about flattery."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Snowflake."

"Oh! A new one… nice!" Jack grinned. He relished a challenge, and every time Bunny threw out a new nickname, it was just begging for the Winter spirit to come up with a better one.

"You bet it is!" Bunny grinned, before catching himself and getting serious, "But that's not why I came here, mate."

"No?" Jack snapped his fingers in disappointment, "And for a second I thought you were gonna tell me that I was pretty."

"Not on your life."

"Well, life is full of disappointment," Jack shrugged, "What can I do for you."

Bunny ran a paw over his ears, as if looking for the best way to put what he wanted to say into words. "I came to warn you."

"Warn me?" Jack's voice took a slight defensive edge, "This isn't about Rustle again is it?"

Bunny looked as if he wanted to say something on that subject, but then decided against it. "No… that subject's over… for now." He cleared his throat. "This is about nightmares."

"Yeah," Jack rolled his eyes, "North already told me. You don't need to worry so much."

"But there is something he didn't tell you!"

This caused Jack to snap out of his playful mode and get completely serious, "Wait? What!? What do you mean?"

"Now don't get riled up, Frostbite," Bunny held up a paw to calm the white-haired spirit down, "It may be nothing at all, but I thought you ought to know anyways. North didn't want to bother you with it, that's all."

"Tell me what it is, Bunny!"

"Sandy and I think they are organized. There! That's it." Bunny huffed and looked at the Winter spirit as if Jack had just bullied the information out of him.

"Organized?" Jack bit his bottom lip, "Do you think… Pitch?"

"No." Bunny shook his head, "Sandy is positive that these nightmares belong to someone else."

"Any ideas?"

Again Bunny shook his head. "There have always been wild nightmares, but Pitch is the only one we know of who can control them."

"Then who?"

"Well… who ever created them, maybe?" Bunny's ears bent and brushed the top of his head while the rabbit squinted in thought, "The original, wild nightmares had to come from somewhere, right?"

"That is not an encouraging thought," Jack frowned.

"No…" Bunnymund agreed, "No it's not."

Jack was left with more questions that Bunny had answers for him… in fact today had left him with more questions than he had ever had in his life, and he had spent most of his life wondering _who_ and _what_ he was, so that was saying something. Right now his biggest question was being repeated over and over in his head though, and it was a question Jack could only answer for himself. _"Am I ready for this?"_

The Winter spirit wasn't certain he had the answer.

"Bunny?"

"Yeah, Jack?"

"Thank you," the boy held out his hand, "For being honest with me."

"Of course, mate!" Bunny looked shocked, "What are friends for?"

Jack grinned, "So we are friends?"

"Well…" Bunny paused as if to protest, but decided to just give up on the whole thing, shaking Jack's hand with a smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd reckon we are."

"I thought so," Jack smiled.

Bunnymund felt a flush spread across his cheeks at that smile, and thanked Mother Earth that she had seen it fit to give animals fur, because it did an amazing job of hiding what would have been a very obvious blushing Easter Bunny.

"Can I ask you another question, Bunny?"

"Anything…"

"When I made Jamie believe in you last year…" Jack paused, looking at the ground, "Did that make you angry?"

"What? Angry?!" Bunny scoffed, sticking a paw under the boy's chin and forcing his head up, "What would ever give you an idea like that?"

"No reason in particular," Jack lied.

"Well then," Bunny could tell that Jack had something on his mind, but knew better than to pry in these sorts of situations, "To answer your question. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Really?" Jack looked as if a huge weight had just been lifted off of his shoulders.

"Bunnies don't lie, mate."

Jack chuckled, "I'll remember that next time I have embarrassing questions!"

"I never said that bunnies answer any flippin' question that annoying winter spirits ask them _either_!"

Jack just laughed at the Easter spirit, and turned to see if Rustle was still standing out there alone.

The Summer spirit wasn't alone; Jack found out with surprise. Rustle was with Toothiana, and both of them were rushing towards the woods in Jack's direction. The Fairy's wings were beating more frantic than usual, and she was moving from place to place so quickly that she looked like a television screen on the fritz.

"Tooth?" Jack walked towards the only female member of the Guardians, "What's wrong."

"Oh, Jack! Heh heh… I found your friend! He seems like a good boy," she patted Rustle on the head, looking back over her shoulder, "He's got good teeth too. Good boys always have good teeth, don't you think?"

"Toothiana, focus." Bunnymund called out, catching the Fairy's attention, and using his paws like an air traffic control person, getting her to focus on him. The Tooth Fairy always got like this when she was nervous; she would flit about in a tizzy, talking about absolutely meaningless things to try and keep herself from worrying, but she ended up working herself into a frenzy by the time she was done. "What's the matter with ya?"

"Oh nothing… nothing at all," she stuck her hands into Rustle's mouth, "Oh! Look at that bicuspid!"

"Toothiana!" Bunny barked, frightening the frazzled fairy.

"North's missing!" Tooth cringed, pulling her arms and legs in close as she hovered in the air. "I went to the Pole to see him… Nightmares everywhere! The Workshop was on fire! The elves were running everywhere and the Yetis were shouting!" Tooth began to fret, nervously messing with her feathers, smoothing them and preening, "I didn't know what to do, I came to find Jack or Sandy."

"Sandy's just over there," Bunny pointed over his shoulder, "I'll go grab him and meet you back here!" Without another word the Easter Bunny vanished into his tunnels.

Jack was standing dead still.

North was missing. How was that possible? He had just seen the Grandfatherly old man less than a few hours ago. The workshop had been fine; they'd been prepping for Christmas. Surely Tooth had mistaken the Elves' antics for something terrible, and when they got there everything would be fine. Then Jack remember what bunny had told him… about the nightmares being organized. North had thought that it was nothing, but what if he had been wrong?

Jack gripped his staff tightly and turned to Rustle, "I need you to say here and watch Jamie."

"Huh?" Rustle looked up. He had been playing with a dandelion he had grown in the snow, apparently not quite grasping the severity of the situation.

"Jamie and the kids. If things are getting bad I need someone who can take care of them here… watching over Burgess," Jack's tone was serious. He didn't know why, but out of all the spirits that he knew, save for Sandy, Rustle felt like the only one he could reliably depend on to watch out for Jamie.

Rustle thought about it for a second. "I really would be much more help fighting," he said softly. He really didn't want to be left alone again.

"I know," Jack said desperately, "But that's why I need you here. Please?"

The Summer spirit looked at the frantic worry in Jack's face; he could see how torn the Winter spirit was between going and saving the North Pole and worrying about the children here. When faced with the choice of helping Jack or being selfish, Rustle really didn't have a choice, "Okay…"

"Thank you!" Jack breathed a sigh of relief, hugging the blue-haired spirit.

Bunnymund and Sandy appeared just then, popping up out of a rabbit hole. "Oy! Let's go! Every second we waste may make us one second too late!"

"Right!" Jack hurried after Toothiana, who had already flown into the tunnel, "I'll be back as soon as I can! Let Jamie know that everything is okay, but that I will probably miss this afternoon!" Jack Frost then jumped into the tunnel, followed by Bunnymund, and the ground closed up around them.

Rustle was left standing alone in a circle of grass surrounded by snow and left with an impossible task: tell a child that couldn't see him that Jack Frost would be standing him up for a play date.

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**A/N**

**And there we go… another chapter done, and like I predicted… chapter 8 is gonna have some action! Yessir! Bout time, I was afraid that people would get a little bit bored with all the dialogue and stuff that I was bombarding them with.**

**There isn't really much to say here. I feel that some nice character moments happened in this chapter, moments which I am proud of.**

**As always, I encourage you to Read/Review/Recommend, and I will see you next chapter! ACTION AWAITS!**


	9. The Night on Fire

**Disclaimer: Blah Blah, don't own, Blah Blah. I did create the Vault of Christmas Past, however.**

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**Chapter 8**

North's Workshop was aflame.

Jack looked upon the destruction in wide-eyed horror. Smoke was billowing out from the Globe Room balcony, flames were licking their way up the sides of walls, and the roof had holes in it from where the fire had caused collapses, belching black torrents of acrid soot into the dark sky. Jack had to shield his face from a sudden rush of heat as a window shattered, flames roaring into the cool air through the new opening.

It was gone! The Workshop was practically destroyed, and North was no where to be seen… Christmas was ruined.

"Bunny!" Toothiana shouted, pointing toward the closed doors of the Sleigh Barn. Dark figures were milling about, trying to force their way inside.

"Nightmares," the Easter Bunny growled, pulling free the boomerangs he had slung across his back.

Turning to look at the figures, Jack noticed something else. There were odd shapes shambling in-between the dark horses, even more of them climbing along the walls and roof of the barn. "I don't think those are just nightmares," Jack warned. "What _is_ that?"

As if to punctuation the Winter spirit's question, one of the shadowy figures turned to face them. A flare light from the burning Workshop illuminated the creature in all of its grotesque glory: a dark skeleton made of black sand, possessing a pair of hollowed eyes that burned with the muted red glow of hot coals. The creature locked those glowing, dead eyes upon the four Guardians and let out a ear-splitting screech... its gaping maw letting loose a shower of sparks and a hiss of smoke.

Upon hearing the call, all of the nightmares and shambling shadows turned their burning gazes upon the quartet.

"Oh, cripes!" Bunny's ears drooped, "That can't be good."

_No_! Jack thought, looking at the swarm of horrors that had begun to descend upon them, then looking at the burning workshop. He looked at his friends who were preparing for a battle. Toothiana looked frightened, holding her small wand at her side, ready and willing to use it, but there was little she would be able to do against so many; Bunny had steeled himself for combat, even though he was hopelessly outnumber. Jack had never know the rabbit to back down from a good scrap. Then there was Sandy, a step ahead of the rest of them. He had already begun levitating into the air on his sand cloud, obviously hoping to draw a majority of the creatures away from the rest of the group. Sandy had a keen experience for dealing with nightmares, so he would be alright against those dark mounts... but none of them knew quite what these new creatures where, and Jack didn't want his friends getting hurt.

"No…" he whispered, clutching his staff tightly in both hands.

"It's gonna be ok, Mate," Bunny reassured him, just before the charging wave of darkness was about to crash upon them, "We're gonna get ridda these monsters, and then we'll find North." The Easter spirit could see how tense Jack was; the boy had a death grip on that staff of his, and Bunnymund was afraid Jack might break it in-two if he gripped the wood any harder.

'NO!" Jack shouted, springing forward without any warning whatsoever. He summoned the wind to him in an instant, launching himself into a whirling spiral as he charged directly for the heart of the nightmarish swarm. Ice and snow blossomed into existence around him instantly, and to all who where watching, the normally peace-loving winter spirit had become a full-blown miniature blizzard.

Jack Frost crashed into the dark sand creatures with such force that nightmares and skeletons went flying. Some were launched into the air, others exploded into clouds of black sand and wisps of smoke, while other vanished through broken windows, thrown into the fiery inferno that use to be the Workshop... but there were still dozens more of the creatures, and they all converged on Jack in unison.

The winter spirit brought his staff to bear, twirling it around him in both offense and defense as he struck out at one monster after the other. Each creature he struck exploded into a cloud of glistening frost and powdered snow, and those that managed to escape the white-haired spirit's rampage were quickly gobbled up and destroyed by the maelstrom of icy winds that surrounded Jack.

"Bunny! We have to get in there and help him!" Tooth shouted over the roaring wind, shielding her face with her hands as snow and ice battered her body.

Bunnymund shielded himself as well, squinting into the micro-blizzard to locate Jack, "I can't see him! Where's Sandy?"

"Up there!" she pointed.

Sandy was above the workshop now, dueling with the few nightmares that had escaped the violent onslaught Jack had initiated. One by one he was subduing the creatures, his calming touch creating golden fauna. Dazzling schools of fish and golden flocks of fowl were assisting Sandman in his fight with the monstrosities, but Bunny could tell that Sandy had the upper hand. Right now Bunny knew he needed to get in there and help Jack.

Without telling Toothiana what he was doing, Aster sheathed his weapons and leapt forward through the harsh outer winds of the blizzard. Heading straight for the center, where he suspected Jack might be, Bunny started calling out to the boy. "Jack!" he helded his paws up to his mouth to amplify his voice. The winds were so loud they practically drowned out all noise. "Jack, where are ya mate?!"

There was a screech off to Bunnymund's left. His ears twitched, and his body jerked towards the sound. Through sheets of snow and ice that obscured his vision, Bunny was able to catch the faintest glimpse of Jack… and it was a sight to behold.

The white-haired boy was poetry in motion, deftly moving, spinning, and twirling his staff in patterns around his body, never stopping as he struck blow after blow to those strange, skeleton-like creatures. The boy looked and moved like a skilled martial artist, his offense and defense seamlessly blending together. Every time Jack would attack one of the creatures, another of the monster's would try and jump the boy from behind, but Jack's staff was there, bringing a swift end as it swiped through the dark entities. In fact, the boy was handling himself so well, Bunny wondered if there was really anything to be worried about?

Then he saw Jack's face.

The boy's features were contorted in anger, practically snarling as he swatted the creatures like flies… and his eyes… Jack's eyes were no longer that ice blue color, which bunny had seen filled with so much laughter and happiness over the last year; they were pure white, shining as if completely made of moonlight. They shone with the burning fury that Jack wielded, and it was as if Jack had become someone else entirely. That very idea frightened Bunny more than anything... more than the thought that Christmas might have been destroyed, or that North was gone, or that they might lose the children again. No, the thought of losing Jack Frost to this entity of icy destruction... it was unthinkable.

"Jack!" he called out to the boy.

However, Jack was beyond words.

In the far recesses of his mind, Jack Frost heard the distant echo of Bunny's voice, but he was occupied at the moment. Everyone of these creatures had to pay! They had to answer for what they had done here, and he was the one who would make them answer. Jack would make certain they never came back! He would destroy them all… it was what he had been made for!

"JACK!" this time the voice was directly in his ear, and a pair of strong arms wrapped around him.

The winter spirit felt himself pulled into a tight embrace, pressed against something firm, yet strangely soft… warm too. It was that warmth that snapped Jack out of whatever trance he had been in. "Huh…?" the boy looked around confused.

There were no nightmares and no skeletons; the winds had vanished and only snow flurries fell from the sky, fluttering to the ground all around them. The Workshop was still on fire, but the battle seemed to be over. The ground was littered with piles of black sand and spires of frost jutted up all around the landscape… but other than that the night seemed eerily calm.

"What... what happened?" Jack stammered, craning his neck backwards to see who had a hold of him.

He was answered by a pair of emerald green eyes that held a look of concern and worry.

"Bunny?" Jack questioned timidly, looking back as the remainder of the battle zone, "Did I… do this?"

Aster set the boy down gently, taking a step back so that he could finally get a good look around as well. Even after seeing it with his own eyes, Bunnymund still wasn't quite sure what had happened, "I dunno, Frostbite. I ain't ever seen anything like that."

"Jack! Oh! Thank god, Jack! You're alright," Toothiana came buzzing up, flitting up and down as she checked the Winter spirit from head-to-toe, "I was so worried."

"I'm fine, Tooth," Jack grinned, but it was only a half-hearted one. The boy looked dejectedly at the burning workshop, and they all grew silent. "But I don't know about, North." Jack somberly spoke the words they had all been silently thinking… and dreading.

Sandy dropped quietly down beside them, a question mark appearing over his head followed by a picture of the Guardian of Wonder.

"We don't know," Bunny answered, "But we've got to get in there and find out. Jack?" he turned to the Frost Guardian, "Do you think you could put some of these fires out?"

"I think so," Jack gripped his staff and took a step forward. The intense heat from the blaze was uncomfortable, and Jack had never been fond of fire. Quite frankly, it frightened him, but how hard could it be? A little snow should be able to put some of these fires out.

Jack raised his staff, ready to send a blast of frost at the nearest window, when suddenly the doors to the Sleigh Barn flew opened. A giant cloud of smoke poured from the opening, followed by streams of shouting in a language Jack didn't understand… but knowing the voice, it had to be Russian. Then North appeared, stepping out of the cloud of smoke with a fire extinguisher in each hand, shouting directions to Elf and Yeti alike. The little jingle hoppers were all lined up carrying fire hoses, while the Yeti began a bucket line with large containers full of snow.

Jack grinned from ear-to-ear, "Old man!"

"Jack Frost! Took you long enough!" then he turned and snapped at an elf, "No! Do not point at me! Point at burning workshop, or do you want to sleep in the snow tonight? I think not, eh!?"

"You're alive!" Tooth cheered, soaring through the air to wrap her arms around the large bearded man, "I was so worried."

"I am fine, Tooth!" North chuckled, "Am more worried about Workshop at the moment."

Sandman hovered over to join the conversation, a quick set of images pouring out over his head. The little golden man was worried, even though, he was glad to see his friend had not been harmed.

"Slow down, Sandy," North held up both hands, "I am not so good at reading pictures."

"He asked what happened? _How _did it happen?" Bunny spoke up.

Sandy pointed at the rabbit and nodded once in confirmation.

"I don't know," North sighed, setting down the fire extinguishers and looking dejected. "It happened shortly after you left. Workshop was running smoothly!" He hit his fists upon his chest in pride, and then motioned to the night sky, "Then suddenly they were everywhere. I was in the barn, checking on sleigh when they attacked workshop. I manage to get elves and Yeti to safety, but there was little I could do but hold them off. Had you not come… things could have gotten _very_ ugly."

"Well thank, Tooth," Bunny chuckled, "She'd come to visit you and saw the fires. If not for her, we wouldn't have known anything had happened."

"Yes," North pulled the Tooth Fairy into a one-armed hug, "Is most fortunate. But why were you coming _here_, Toothiana?"

"My fairies and I caught a Nightmare skulking around the Tooth Palace," she frowned, "I wanted to make certain everyone else knew to be careful."

"Sandman and I had the same thing," Bunny muttered, "Did you destroy it?"

"Of course!" Toothiana looked horrified, "Do you remember what happened last time?"

They all looked somber for a moment. Each of the Guardians remembered what had happened the last time Nightmares attacked Tooth Palace. The dark horses had kidnapped all of Toothiana's little fairy helpers, save for one, and they had stolen all of the children's teeth… in essence stealing their memories from childhood. It had hurt Toothiana deeply.

"Then why attack the North Pole?" Jack asked, curious as to why they hadn't attacked the Warren or some other Guardian.

Sandy hovered up and created a picture over his head of a fence with a hole in it.

"Sandman is probably right," Bunnymund frowned, "They were probing our defenses. We all assumed that the North Pole was the safest of our homes. We all came here and warned each other… but we weren't looking for trouble up here. They probably had spies watching us until we all left."

"For nightmares to get through Aurora Borealis barrier though?" North frowned, "That would require some serious power."

"Then that means it wasn't Pitch?" Tooth asked, worried that the answer would mean someone new had a vendetta against them. She had no love for the Boogeyman, but at least he was an enemy they knew how to confront.

"That definitely wasn't Pitch!" Jack was adamant on this point, "Did anyone else see those… weird things?"

"They were like monsters straight out of a Hollywood horror movie," Tooth agreed.

"Elves have taken to calling them Shamblers," North offered, then looked at the workshop. Most of the fires had been put out, but now the building looked even worse. It was a charred, steaming corpse of its original splendor, "Though without library… there is no way to know for certain."

"Oh, no…" Toothiana gasped, "What about Christmas? All the toys!"

"We'll be glad to help ya out, Mate," Bunny said, placing a hand on North's broad shoulder, "But I don't think it's going to be like Toothy's pick-up rounds. Can we even build enough toys in time?"

North smirked, "What do I look like? Amatuer?" He motioned for the other Guardians to follow him and led them back into the Sleigh Barn. The Guardian of wonder walked over to a blank, stone wall that held a lone brass lantern on a hook. Grasping the lantern hook, North pulled down; there was a loud clank, and suddenly the floor began to drop away, revealing a secret flight of stairs.

"Welcome to Vault of Christmas Past," the bearded Guardian chuckled, pulled up the waist on his pants and grabbed the lantern off the hook to provide light as he led his friends down into the vaults.

It was a long way down, and Jack had to wonder just what North would keep hidden in the recess of ice and snow. Perhaps a secret toy making machine? Or a magic device that let him use the toys from his last Christmas run? The Winter spirit's curiosity was just about to get the better of him when they finally reached the bottom of the stairs.

A pair of large oak doors, banded with iron and locked together with an enormous padlock, blocked their path. The padlock looked fairly new; however, Jack couldn't see any place to insert a key. Instead the lock had a smooth, concave groove on the front of it. Before Jack could ask what opened the doors, North pulled out the magical snow globe which he used to travel with.

"Here is best kept secret of Christmas!" the elder Guardian was pratically giddy as he pressed the snow globe into the padlock and said, "1941!"

The doors sparkled and vanished, revealing a warehouse full of toys. It was an old wooden warehouse, with high, arching wooden beams, and polished redwood floors… and stacked from floor to ceiling were teddy bears, rocking horses, old-timey toy cars, and about a thousand other old toys from yesteryears. "So? What do you think?"

"Holy hand-painted, Easter eggs," Bunny muttered, "There must be thousands of toys in here, North!"

"Hundreds of Thousands!" North boomed, laughing as he walked into the warehouse, "And I have warehouse like this full of toys from each Christmas!"

"Why?" Jack asked incredulously, "That must… I mean all the extra work?"

"I am man of logic, Jack Frost," North smiled, "One thousand years and not one Christmas have I missed. Why do you think this is?"

"Luck?"

"Perhaps a little," North held up his thumb and forefinger with the tiniest space possible between them, "But real reason is that I always expect for something to happen, and therefore I plan ahead. Each Christmas I make extra toys, just in case."

"In case of what?" Tooth giggled, "It looks like you made enough extra toys to bring Christmas to the planet Mars!"

"Eh, Martians not celebrate Christmas," North shrugged. When they all looked at him in shock, as if they hadn't expected aliens to be real, the old man burst out laughing, "Is joke! Is funny, no?"

"Ok… so you have enough toys," Jack held up a finger cautioning the older Guardians, "But… what about the kids? I'm sure most of this stuff isn't on their wish lists."

"Heh! We'll call it Vintage," North waved dismissively, "Is all the rage these days."

"Alright, Mate, so you have toys… but how are you going to deliver them?" Bunny jerked a paw over his shoulder, "I saw what kind of state the Sleigh is in. They did a right number on her. Ain't no way you can get her fixed up in less than two weeks and still prep for Christmas."

"Oh, but of course I will!" North grinned slyly, "Because you promised to help. Eh, Bunny?"

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**A/N**

**Yay! Action! Things happened that were exciting, but what they mean for our favorite Winter Spirit, well... only I know that! Bwahaha! So if you wish to find out you must continue on this journey with me! Yes! Ha ha!**

**My diabolic laughter aside, I am grateful for each and every one of my readers and reviewers. I also noticed that I got my first ever viewer from Pakistan last week. That is all the way on the other side of the world, and not something that one sees everyday. So I wanted to give a big shout to you, whom ever you are (even though you may never read this story again), and a shout out to all my readers in different countries! Thank you for at least looking at my story!**

**To all my other readers, I love you and will continue to put forth my best effort so that each and every one of you can enjoy these characters as much as I do.**

**So, as I continue to say: _Read/Review/Recommend_! And enjoy your holidays. I am going on vacation next week, but I have written chapters 9-12 so updates will regularly continue, and there will be a Christmas one-shot. It will be linked to this story to this story, but will be published separately. Hopefully it will draw in new readers, but for those of you who read this story you will actually get all the information from the one-shot AND some bonus christmas goodies. The one-shot events actually take place on christmas... so consider it my gift to all of you wonderful people. **

**Until next time!**


	10. A Game of Charades

**This chapter is for everyone who has been wondering what Rustle and Jamie have been up to! **

**Also, it is dedicated to my readers who have left me review an encouragement through this story's progression. Thank you all very much!**

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**Chapter 9**

"Face it, Jamie. Jack's not coming today," Caleb sighed, picking up his sled and turning to his brother, Claude. The two of them exchanged looks before turning and leaving the park, and Jamie, as they headed home.

Still refusing to believe that Jack had failed to show, Jamie held onto his own sled tightly and looked around. It had been two hours since school had let out, and Jack should have been here by now. Jamie had been so excited when he left school; he'd told everyone that Jack was going to be in town, so they had all grabbed their snow gear and rushed to the park… but the winter spirit had never shown. Yeah, they all had fun and played in what snow was already there, but the excitement was diminished. Pretty soon kids started heading home to do their end of the semester homework before the holidays started, and now Jamie was standing there alone, in the snow, waiting for a spirit who might never show up.

Little did the boy know that he had an entirely different spirit watching over him at that very moment. High above Jamie's head, in the one tree in the entire park that had green leaves upon its branches, Rustles was perched on a limb looking down at the child in frustration.

Rustle had been trying everything he could think of in the past two hours to get Jamie's attention. He had melted snow men, created water puddles, thawed out the slide, and even unfrozen Monty's tongue from the iron lamp post, but apparently nothing he did was enough to get the Jamie's attention. Heck, the most recognition Rustle receive was when the large girl, who the children all called Cupcake, mentioned that Global Warming was something to be worried about.

"_Really_!?" Rustle had sighed in exasperation, "_Is that what I'm destined to be? The spirit who melts the poles_?"

About ready to give up, the Summer spirit had retreated to his tree branch and was now thinking up a new game plan. Rustle was twirling his birch twig in-between his fingers, humming to himself when he heard Jamie speak.

"Come on, Jack!" the boy whined into the air, "You promised we'd go sledding!"

Rustle rolled his eyes, "Sledding is _soooo _boring!" Who would want to go sledding when they could go swimming? Or kayaking? Or play Frisbee on the beach? Or climb trees in order to go swinging through the air on a vine like Tarzan? All of those things sounded so much more enjoyable than riding through the snow on a wooden sled.

Still, when Rustle looked down at the kid standing all by himself in the empty park and on the verge of tears, the blue-haired spirit knew he had to do something… but what? It was then that Rustle remembered something that Jack had said:

"_How did you do it? Get him to believe in you?"_

"_Actually," Jack's laughter was melodious, even in Rustle's memory, "I made him believe in the Easter Bunny."_

Rustle smiled as he suddenly got an idea.

Grabbing up a handful of green leaves from the tree branch where he was seated, the Summer spirit held them up to the fading sunlight and thought intently about _Snowflakes_! His hand lit up with a flash of sunlight, and when he opened it, Rustle grinned from ear-to-ear at what he had created. Each of the leaves had patterns burned into them, like someone had taken a magnifying glass to them and etched out little green snowflakes in what had once been Maple leaves.

"Lets see what he thinks of this," Rustle murmured, blowing on the handful of leaves lightly.

Using just a little bit of his magic, Rustle replicated these snowflakes over and over again, creating a soft, continuous trickle of falling leaf-flakes. "Yeah, leaf-flakes," he grinned.

Jamie was just about to pack up his sled and go home when he suddenly felt a warm breeze… and something else. He took in a deep breath through his nose, and instantly caught the sent of freshly mowed grass and flowers; then something landed right on his nose. The boy reached up a mitten-covered hand and removed whatever it was. "Huh?" the boy looked at the strange object in his hand. It was a leaf… but it was also a snowflake. "Jack?"

The boy looked up to see the air filled with bright green leaves, all cut like snowflakes, falling softly around him. Jamie didn't know what was going on, but every where the snowflakes landed something magical happened. The snow started melting, grass started growing, and flowers started blooming. Pretty soon Jamie was standing in a field of wildflowers: daffodils, pansies, daisies, bluebonnets, lilacs. There were flowers of every color and shape and size. The air around him was warmer to, so warm in fact that Jamie had to set his sled down in order to remove his scarf and his winter coat.

"Jack?" Jamie asked again, though he could tell that this wasn't the work of his favorite Winter spirit. "Wait… are you… Jack's friend from this morning?"

Rustle's eyes lit up as the boy acknowledged him for the first time that day, "Yes!"

Jamie continued to look around, astonished at everything happening around him.

"You still can't see me, can you?" Rustle groaned. The Summer spirit kicked the ground in frustration as Jamie walked right through him.

"Hello? Anyone there?" Jamie called out.

"Well if the boy can't hear me," Rustle thought, "Perhaps he can hear this?" With a snap of his fingers, the sky rumbled with the sound of thunder.

Jamie jumped back, startled at the sound, looking up at the sky and then back toward his house. What if this wasn't a friend of Jack's but rather an evil spirit like the Boogeyman? Perhaps he should make a run for it?

Rustle groaned as the boy dashed for his sled, picking up his jacket and scarf in an obvious attempt to flee.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" the blue haired boy groaned, smacking himself in the head with his opened hand. "Great idea with the thunder!"

In a last, desperate attempt Rustle ran in front of Jamie, waving his birch twig wide. He created a large swatch of bright, pink poppy flowers right in the boy's path. Thankfully Jamie stopped running, trying his best not to step on the flowers.

"Ok! Let's try something else," Rustle sighed. Using his birch twig like a calligraphy brush, he used flowers to paint a single word on the ground: _Friend_.

"Friend?" Jamie looked at the ground as it spelled out before him. An entire patch of Indian paintbrushes had sprouted out of the ground in seconds, spelling the word. "Oh! Wait! You're telling me that you are a friend of Jack's?"

Rustle snapped his fingers, making it thunder again.

Jamie flinched, but this time he got the message. Thunder meant: _Yes_!

"Wow…" the kid breathed, setting his sled and stuff down as he looked at all the flowers around him. It was like spring time had come to Burgess, but only in this one little park. "What else can you do?" Jamie grinned

"What else?" Rustle returned the grin with a mischievous one of his own. He liked a challenge. "Can Jack Frost do this, kid?"

Pointing his birch twig at the ground, Rustle closed his eyes. He moved the twig like a paint brush, imagining what he wanted to create in his head, and bringing it to life as he grew it, controlling each and every movement, every fiber, every vein of what he wanted to create.

Jamie took a step back as the earth in front of him suddenly opened up and a tree practically jumped out. The trunk of the tree twisted and groaned as it grew up into the sky, sprouting branches this way and that way. The branches grew longer and soon started to sprout leaves everywhere. As the tree grew taller, the branches longer, and the leaves bigger, Jamie soon found himself being envolped in the arms of a Weeping Willow. In a matter of seconds the process was over and a fully grown tree, that had never before existed in Burgess, was now completely shielding Jamie from the view of anyone.

"Holy cow…" Jamie breathed, looking up at the tree, almost afraid to touch it, as if it could all disappear just as quickly as it had grown.

Rustle smiled, proud of himself as he marveled at his handiwork. It was one of his better trees if Rustle did say so himself. The willow's branches barely brushed the grass that grew beneath them, which allowed for a beautiful image as the wind whipped up in tiny gusts, blowing the tree branches back and forth in a pleasant, metronomic fashion.

"Why can't I see you?" Jamie asked, still looking around for the new spirit.

"Stupid rules…" Rustle muttered. Jamie couldn't see him because Jamie didn't know what to look for, and it wasn't like Rustle O. Thunder was part of any children's nursery rhymes. If Jamie didn't know his name; then the kid couldn't see him.

When he didn't get an answer, Jamie looked a little disheartened. He didn't know much about spirits. In fact the only spirit he knew anything about was Jack Frost, and even that wasn't very much. Jamie didn't know where Jack went during the day, or what his job was now that Jack had become a Guardian. So, when it came to this new spirit, Jamie didn't even know where to start.

So he decided to start as he would with any new kid at school, "Um… what's your name?"

The summer spirit got an idea. He wasn't sure if it would work, but it beat sitting around and getting nowhere. Rustle walked over to the nearest willow branches and grabbed a handful of them; the summer spirit shook them lightly, creating a "rustling" sound.

"Willow?" Jamie asked, "Are you a girl spirit?"

Rustle face-palmed. How did he even begin to answer that. Pointing his birch twig at the ground, he wrote: _NO_!

"Sorry," Jamie looked embarrassed, "Can't you write your name?"

Rustle thought about it. It seemed like cheating, but he was willing to try anything at this moment. He pointed his twig at the ground and wrote out his name… but nothing happened. The flowers just grew like normal, all grouped together in a patch. Apparently, whoever was in-charge of creating the "Rules by which Children Believe in Spirits" had decided that you couldn't just come out and give a child your name. Great!

Rustle wrote on the ground again: _No_.

"Oh…" Jamie frowned, "Darn. Well… lets see." The boy walked over to the willow branches and looked at them, "Is your name Leaf?"

With a sigh, Rustle resigned himself to a long game of Charades and wrote on the ground once more: _No_.

"Branch?"

_No_.

"Tree?"

_No_!

"Um… " Jamie thought hard, "Is your name, Green?"

_No_.

Rustle thought for a second before going over to the willow tree's base and running his hand over the bark to create another "rustling" sound.

"Bark?" Jamie asked, excited for more clues.

_No_.

Rustle dropped to his knees and ran his hands through the patches of wildflowers, causing them to rustle as he disturbed their quiet observation of the Summer spirit's failures.

"Flower? No… wait, that has nothing to do with the other clues," Jamie flopped to the ground, rolling up the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt. Was it getting warmer? It was practically like summer underneath the willow tree's embrace.

Looking around at the field of flowers, all of which were yelling the word "No" at him, Jamie couldn't help but feel discouraged. He thought over all the clues this new spirit had given him, but for some reason nothing about them made sense… except for one thing, "You shook the branches… and the flowers," Jamie ventured, "Is your name, Shake?"

_Close_.

That was the word the newly grown flowers spelled out.

"Ok…" Jamie grinned, crawling to his knees. He tried to think of a word that had the same meaning as "to shake". The only thing that came to his mind was that lame song his mom liked to listen to. Jamie didn't know what it was called, but it repeated one line over and over again: "Shake, Rattle, and Roll!"

"Um… what about Rattle?" Jamie shook his head. That didn't make any more sense that the rest of his guesses had.

_First letter correct_, the flowers told him.

"Oooh…" Now they were getting somewhere.

"Rattle… roll? No…" Jamie thought back to his vocabulary lists. The word shake had been close, but what he was looking for started with the letter "R". Jamie's seventh grade teacher would probably be disappointed with him and want to keep him in class over winter break for not remembering his homework better.

Rustle was getting beside himself. The kid was so close, but they were still so far away. The summer spirit went back over to the willow branches and began swishing them from side-to-side. "This is what you call a rustle! Why do kids not know what that is?" the blue-haired youth shouted up at the sky. Jamie couldn't hear him, so maybe whoever was in-charge up there might take a hint and offer some assistance.

"You can keep shaking the branches, but I don't know what your name is!" Jamie cried, throwing his hands up in the air and falling backwards in disgust. He felt so stupid. Maybe he should call Monty for help? Monty was the smartest kid in their class; that kid may have had glasses as big as his brain, which often got the blond boy teased, but Monty knew things that most kids couldn't even comprehend.

"Ugh! I am stupid," Jamie groaned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone. He quickly pulled up the Dictionary App, which he had installed to help make the papers he wrote for school sound more intelligent, and typed the word "Rattle" into the Thesaurus part. Unfortunately none of the results started with the letter "R".

"Ok…" Jamie muttered, "Let's try: shake." The App pulled up a list of words, and… Bingo! There were several words.

"What about Reel?"

_No_.

"Rock?"

_No_.

"Roil?"

_No_.

"Ruffle?"

Rustle stopped, mid-way through writing out "No" for what felt like the hundredth time. That last guess was actually the closest Jamie had gotten all day. With a grin, Rustle wrote out something different this time.

_Now the first two letters are right_!

"Ok…" Jamie frowned, "But there aren't anymore words on the list."

With a sigh, Rustle sat down on the grass next to Jamie in defeat. "I don't know what to do anymore, kid," The summer spirit admitted, "And I'm not talking about this hopeless endeavor either. I… just don't know what to do with myself. I mean, I used to tell myself that everything was fine, that I didn't need kids to believe in me, and everything had worked out great in my life!"

Rustle rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He could feel tears welling up, and he refused to cry again. "But after meeting Jack, and seeing how excited you were to play with him, and I got to see the North Pole! Kids are amazing! And now I know…" the summer spirit closed his eyes, scrunching them shut as hard as he could, as if doing so could stop him from seeing the memories of the past two days. "Being alone _isn't _okay."

"Rustle?"

"Now I'm hearing things!" the summer spirit laughed, though it came out more like a sob, "Now I think you're saying my name."

"Holy crap!" Jamie shouted, jumping back as a blue-haired kid about the same age as Jack suddenly appeared right next to him, "I got it right!"

"Huh?" Rustle looked up from the ground, pulled out of his monologue by Jamie's antics, "Wait… what did you say?"

"Rustle!" Jamie grinned, "Your name is Rustle!"

"Yeah!" Rustle jumped to his feet, "Yeah! How did you guess it?"

Jamie held up his smart phone and shrugged, "I just looked up words in the dictionary that started with the first two letters you gave me. I just kept reading them outloud, and then you suddenly were all.. BAM! Right there beside me!"

Rustle found that he was having a hard time breathing; he was caught in the middle of overwhelming relief and complete exhilaration. A kid could see him! Really, truly see him!

"You look a lot different than Jack," Jamie giggled, taking in the spirit with a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts. Rustle had an aloof air about him, what with his shaggy blue hair and half-unbuttoned shirt, but Jamie could also see similarities between Rustle and Jack as well. They both went around without shoes, and they both had blue eyes; though Jack's were like ice, and, if Jamie had to say anything, Rustle's were like raindrops, but the biggest similarity was the way they smiled when they were excited. Jamie had been the first kid to ever believe in Jack, and he had witnessed Jack's reaction to being believed in. Rustle was acting pretty much the same right now...

If not _more excited._

"So… now what?" Jamie asked, grinning at the new spirit.

"Oh!" Rustle stopped hopping up and down and looked sheepishly at the boy in front of him, "Right… there's a whole bunch to explain."

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**A/N - I really enjoyed writing this chapter. **

**And if anyone cares to know, I used my dictionary app just to see how hard it would to get from the idea of "shake" to the conclusion of "rustle". Yeah! Not an easy task. Thus, I hope the hilarity of this scene is as funny as I think it is, because I spent so many minutes angry with myself for not being able to come up with a simple solution for Jamie learning rustle's name. By the way, it takes a long time to go through all the words starting with "R. U." So Rustle probably could have had a longer monologue, but... meh!**

**Hope you enjoyed this. Please Read/Review/Reccommend this story. And if you are a fan of vampire stories, check out my fic "The Story of Sarai". If it gets enough interest, then I will probably reorganize the chapter format of the old posts and start writing on it again.**


	11. You Have an Odd Way of Showing You Care

**I'm heading out on vacation, but you can expect this story to start updating fairly quickly. There will be this update, then there will be an update on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day, as well as me posting that one-shot I've been mentioning. Now, for people who are regulars of this story, the one-shot is just a condensed version of Chapter 12. It's a simplified story that focuses only on the five main Guardians, and it has slight fluffy SnowBunnies in it. So, please enjoy! I look forward to hearing what you all think.**

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The North Pole was a lot colder than Bunny remembered, probably because he was so used to the warmth and light brought by The Workshop. Now…? The Workshop brought warmth, but that was because it was a smouldering wreck that was still on fire in some places. Elves and Yeti were rushing about putting out flames where they could. Tiny little tooth fairies were dropping snow balls onto the flames in droves, while Toothiana did her best to organize them. Bunny himself was busy directing his eggling statues to brace up doorways that had collages or to hold up support beams that had weakened in the fire. There was so much damage!

It was going to take weeks to repair it all.

Taking a break from giving his statues orders, E. Aster Bunnymund took a moment to spare a glance at the other Guardians. They all looked tired, especially Jack Frost.

North was covered in soot, his jacket charred from his prolonged fight with the nightmarish creatures which had assaulted his home. His beard was streaked with charcoal dust and his face was covered with black; he looked like a blacksmith who'd been working for hours at the forge, but there was still that twinkle in the old man's eyes. He wasn't discouraged, and he had drive and purpose enough to get his workshop on the road to repair.

Toothiana looked frazzled, darting back and forth between groups of fairies. She had been one of the only two people who had seen Jack when he went all… blizzard mode. Bunny and she hadn't talked about it, but it had been a rather frightening experience for Bunny, so he could only imaging what Tooth must have thought about the whole thing. Poor girl was probably loosing feathers with all the fretting.

Sandman had left to patrol the area around The Workshop, in order to see if any more Nightmares or Shamblers had stuck around. Bunny didn't like letting the little golden Guardian go away on his own, especially after Pitch had caught Sandy by surprise by separating him from the group… but the Dreamkeeper had insisted he would be fine.

Then there was Jack Frost…

The white haired boy was his normal smiling self. He looked so natural, so in his element as he made piles of snow balls for the tiny tooth fairies to carry, that Bunny would never has assumed that this carefree spirit had, only moment ago, been a whirling storm of deadly ice and lethal combat moves. Aster wondered if Jack had been training in secret, and if these new powers were something that had developed as Jack's following of children grew.

Each and every one of the Guardians gained and lost their powers based upon the number of children who believed, but Jack had always had powers… even before he was believed in. Now that he had children, Jack could be rapidly changing before their eyes. It was a topic that Bunnymund felt warranted discussion, but he didn't quite know how to bring it up.

Hopping over to the white-haired winter spirit, Aster shot the kid a smile, "Oy! Frostbite, you got a minute?"

"Sure thing, Bunny," Jack looked up from what he was doing and leaned on his staff. "What's up?"

"Er… I was just wondering how you were feeling?"

Jack gave him a quizzical look, "What do you mean."

"I mean after the whole blizzard… thing?" Bunny waved his hands above his head, making circular motions and "whooshing" wind sounds, pantomiming Jack's little freak out.

The Winter spirit only looked upset for a moment, his eyes gaining a frosty glint that Bunny knew all too well; then the boy shrugged and went back to making snow balls. "Yep. I'm fine! Nothing to report here."

Aster didn't believe that for a second. He hopped after the shorter Guardian who was trying to walk away, unwilling to give the subject up at the moment, "Hey, I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers, Mate. No offense Tooth!" Bunny called up at the Fairy.

"None taken," she smiled back, having stopped to watch Bunny and Jack with a wary eye. She could tell that this situation could get out of hand quickly. Bunny was a master of saying the wrong things to Jack, and Jack was always quick to let his temper flare.

"Look, Frost, all I'm trying to say is that was a pretty frightening display you put on back there," the Easter Spirit hopped in front of Jack to prevent him from walking off further, "And I don't scare easily."

"I had it under control," Jack said. He voice was flat and he gave the Easter Bunny a stern glare that clearly told the rabbit to get out of his way.

"It didn't look that way to me, Mate."

"Yeah, well maybe your should eat more carrots," Jack snapped, "Your eyesight must be getting bad in your old age!"

"Hey! There's no need for that," Bunny growled, "I'm just trying to make sure you're alright."

"I told you: I'm fine!"

"You're not fine!" Bunny shouted, his voice raising as Jack's voice raised. "You lose control like that again, and I may not be there to stop you!"

"I said I have it under control!" Jack bellowed, slamming his staff into the ground. There was an explosion of wind and snow that erupted around the Winter spirit. The force of it was so strong that it not only extinguished all of the flames still burning around The Workshop, but it knocked the Easter Bunny right on his butt.

Before Bunnymund could utter another word, Jack had stormed off. The boy muttered some apologies to North, and then he launched into the air, heading for who knows where.

Pulling himself out of the snow, Bunny began wiping the white stuff from his fur before it could melt. The last thing he needed was to be a wet Bunny in the middle of a frozen wasteland. Without the fires burning, Aster could feel the temperature in the air begin to drop significantly.

There was a buzzing of wings, which announced Toothiana's presence. The Fairy had come down to hover next to Bunny, looking at him with concern, "You always do that."

"What?" Bunny snapped.

"Get angry when you're worried." Tooth explained with a a gentle smile.

"Well, someone has to worry," Bunny pointed at the direction Jack had stormed off in, "You saw him Toothiana. He did not have control."

"Jack saved us, Bunny," Tooth said sternly, fixing the rabbit with her "listen to me when I'm talking" face.

"But…"

"No, buts!" she held up a finger. "We have no idea whether or not Jack lost control. Did it scare me? Yes. Yes, it did, but I also know that if he hadn't done that… those Nightmares would have kept us from getting to the Sleigh Barn, and North would have been…" Tooth didn't want to finish that thought. If Jack hadn't cleared the creatures away, that barn would have burnt down with all those Yeti and elves inside… North included.

Bunny sighed, "I know… but…"

"Look, I know you worry about Jack," Tooth put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "But sometimes you go about it the wrong way."

"He's just so reckless," Bunny slouched, "I don't want him to get hurt, and he's new at this… he should ask for help sometimes."

"Like you did?" the Fairy chuckled, "We all had to figure out our own path in life. Jack deserves the same chance, without being constantly questioned. If you worry about him, then let him know that he can always come talk to you… don't make him think that you are constantly waiting for him to screw up."

"I'm not!" Aster protested, hopping up in agitation. "I would never want Jack to screw up."

"Well…" Tooth trailed off, giving an embarrassed smile, "You have a funny way of showing it."

-break-

It was dark this far away from the Workshop. The sun only rose at the North Pole for a limited number of weeks, and this time of the year… that wasn't the case, so the land was in perpetual darkness. It was a perfect place for the Darksand creatures to hide.

Sandman had never really worried about the Nightmares before. They had always been easily manageable; even the encounter with Pitch hadn't truly worried the Guardian of Dreams. Nightmares could be conquered, that was always the truth of things.

But this new creatures? The Shamblers…

Sandy didn't quite know how to feel about the skeletal Darksand monsters. They filled him with a deep sense of unease, one that he was not comfortable with. It was like a tremor of fear that rocked him to his very center. It was this particular feeling that had made Sandman resolve to hunt down every last one of those creatures.

During the battle, Jack Frost had managed to destroy most of them, and Sandy had taken care of the rest… but he was almost certain he saw a nightmare or two break off from the fighting, fleeing into the darkness. If those Darksand horses had known they were losing, then it was likely that a Shambler or two had retreated as well.

Hopping off of his golden cloud of Dreamsand, the little Guardian took a moment to survey the dark, icy landscape. He couldn't see very far into the darkness, but so far he had yet to find a single trace of the creatures. Perhaps they hadn't stuck around, which was both a good and a bad thing.

Letting out a silent sigh, Sandman went back to his cloud in order to return to patrolling, and that was when he heard the sound.

A deep, echoing rattle that sounded like a steam boiler in a dark basement. The golden Guardian spun around just as a Shambler leapt out of the darkness. The Darksand creature had is mouth open, it's fiery maw emitting that horrific death rattle like a war chant as it reached thin, skeletal limb for him. Sandy grabbed hold of the creature, imbuing his touch with the power of dreams in order to turn the nightmarish creature into an entity of golden promises…

But the Sandman's touch had no effect on the Shambler.

Sandy's eyes widened in shock as the creature began snapping at him, his flaming mouth trying to bite any part of the Dreamkeeper that it could reach. It took every ounce of Sandman's strength to hold the dark monster at bay, but he wasn't certain he could do so for very long. The heat coming from the creature was so intense, Sandy felt as if his Dreamsand were going to turn to glass, and as he looked into those empty eye sockets filled with dying embers… Sandman felt that deep tremor of fear again.

"Sandy!" a voice screamed.

There was a blast of blue light, and it knocked the Shambler into the air where it exploded into a shower of ice and snow. The Dreamkeeper turned around to see Jack Frost running toward him, Sandy had never been happier to see the white-haired Guardian in his entire life.

Without stopping, Jack tackled Sandy into a hug, "Are you alright! It didn't get you did it?"

Sandy blushed from the hug; he'd never been one for much personal contact… in fact he didn't think he'd hugged any of the other Guardians, except maybe North, who was always forcing hugs on people. Jack was clearly worried though, so Sandy created a series of symbols to calm the boy down: I'm alright.

"I saw that monster and…" Jack sighed, "I was angry at Bunny so I decided to come out here and look for you. If I hadn't!" The boy was obviously emotionally distraught.

Sandy frowned. That egotistical Easter Bunny never did know how to control his mouth. That was half the reason Sandman was glad he couldn't speak… the other half was it made most conversations incredibly shot, which suited him fine; however, in this moment, Sandy cursed his silence. He needed to ask questions to make certain Jack was alright, and Jack had never been good at deciphering Sandy's pictorial messages.

The only thing Sandy could think of, to stop Jack's rambling and self-blame, was to create a big golden stop sign above his head.

Apparently it worked, because Jack Frost froze: eyes wide and mouth comically shutting mid sentence. "Sorry," the boy mumbled.

Holding up a hand to stop him, Sandy created a series of images, playing them as slowly as he could so that Jack could get the message: This wasn't your fault.

"But if something had happened to you," Jack protested.

It didn't, Sandy's next message said. Followed by his next message, which was picture of a golden Jack Frost swooping in and protecting a little Sandman. You saved me.

"I did, didn't I?" Jack grinned. "I'm getting pretty good at this Guardian stuff, huh?"

Sandy nodded with a smile, patting Jack's knee in approval. He would have patted the boy on the back, but that would have required floating up there and doing so, and Sandy was still lost in his own thoughts.

"Why couldn't you turn that thing into Dreamsand?" Jack asked, voicing Sandman's own inner dialogue.

The Dreamkeeper was silent for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. Finally he shrugged. Sandy didn't have a clue. He created a series of symbols for Jack that showed a nightmare turning into a dream, and then he showed a Shambler and several other fast pictures: a nightmare with a slash through it, a dream with a slash through it, a question mark…

"Whoa! Slow down!" Jack squinted trying to keep up, "You know I'm not good at this."

Sandy sighed, smacking himself in the forehead with his palm and again cursing the fact that he couldn't just speak to Jack Frost. He tried again, slower this time. The message he was trying to get across was: Perhaps these monsters have nothing to do with dreams?

"If they don't have anything to do with nightmares," Jack muttered, "Then why are they made out of Darksand?"

Sandman knew that answer: Fear

"Darksand is created out of fear?" Jack asked.

Sandy nodded.

Pitch Black was able to corrupt dreams with fear, thus causing them to turn to Nightmares, but the Darksand was not an ability that the Boogeyman had originally had. Pitch had even admitted that it had taken him years to perfect that skill, which mean he had learned if from someone… somewhere. Sandy didn't know of a spirit who specialized in such a thing, but one must exist.

They would need to find out who, and the Guardians would have to figure it out quickly.

"We should probably get back to the workshop," Jack suggested, motioning over his shoulder with a thumb, "The other's will start to get worried, and I really don't need Bunny coming and hunting me down. He's been… weird lately."

Sandy chuckled silently. The Guardian of Dreams knew why Bunnymund had been acting strangely around Jack Frost, and now that he had spent time round the white-haired boy, both in Burgess and at the Workshop, and after Jack saved his life tonight… Sandman could understand. Bunny was enamored with the Winter spirit. Whether it was a simple crush or something more, who could say?

Jack Frost had a spark to him, and Sandy could appreciate that. The Dreamkeeper had always thought that Jack had the makings of a Guardian, and every day the boy proved himself more and more to be up to the task.

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**A/N -**

**Alright! Reviews people! Pretty please! I've seen a bunch of ROTG fics that have like 100+ reviews and my paranoia has me thinking that I'm doing something wrong! **

**. Am I? We shall see... there be romance ahead, my dear readers! Bwahaha!**


	12. Is It Always Like This?

**This Chapter was a complete accident. I hadn't planned on doing this introduction until later in the story, but as I was proofreading Chapter 10, I noticed that I had left out an important moment between Jack and Bunny. So... you get an extra chapter because I wasn't going to create a new update for a few hundred words. Consider it a present! :)**

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Jack and Sandy arrived back at the Workshop without any further incidents. They had decided that they would save telling the others about their encounter with the Shambler, as Sandy didn't see the need to worry Toothiana, North, or Bunny with anything else, especially since they were currently not in any imminent danger.

The Winter spirit had wanted to tell them, and at first he had argued with Sandman. Jack didn't like keeping secrets, but Sandy quickly explained that they weren't keeping it a secret. The Dreamkeeper only wanted to wait until after Christmas, promising Jack that he would bring it up at the next Guardian's meeting before the New Year. That would allow everyone to focus on the task at hand.

"Okay," Jack nodded, "You have a point." He looked around at the demolished Workshop and the sheer amount of work that needed to get underway if they were to be prepared for Christmas Eve.

Nodding silently, Sandy floated over to a group of Yeti and began to help them carry large wooden beams that were meant for repairing the roof. With his dream sand, the golden Guardian was able to create a fork lift, which meant that the large wooden pieces, which were currently requiring five or more Yeti to carry them, now could be maneuvered with speed and very little effort.

Turning his attention elsewhere, Jack's eyes fell on Bunnymund.

The rabbit was milling about in the snow, hopping from one foot to the other and obviously quite uncomfortable. Jack immediately felt guilty for how he had yelled at the rabbit earlier. Bunnymund, while pushy and overprotective, had only been looking out for his best interests. "Oy! Cottontail!" Jack bounded over to the Easter Spirit.

"Oh, so _now_ your talking to me?" Bunny raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, about that," Jack looked sheepish, holding onto his staff with both hands and nudging the snow around nervously with his foot, "Look… I owe you an apology."

"You're darn right you do," Bunny crossed his arms.

"Hey!" Jack bristled, "I'm trying to make peace here! Do you have to be a jerk all the time?"

Bunnymund sighed and ran a paw over his ears, brushing them back, "Sorry, Jackie… I just. I was worried. I get angry when I worry."

"I've noticed," the white-haired youth smirked.

"Anyways," the rabbit coughed, clearing his throat, "I believe you were apologizing?"

The Winter spirit nodded, "Yeah. I didn't mean to bite your head off. I know you were just trying to look out for me." Looking down at his feet, Jack tried to hide his embarrassment, "So, anyway, we good?"

"You bet, Frostbite," Bunny punched the boy playfully, almost knocking him over. "And, hey, even if you bite my head off, I'll always be here to watch out for you."

"See," Jack smirked, "I knew you cared."

"As much as it pains me to admit it," Bunny chuckled, "I guess I do."

"You're just as soft as you look," Jack teased. Poking the Easter Bunny with his staff, causing ice crystals to form on the tips of Bunny's fur.

"Hey! It's cold enough for me as it is," the Easter spirit hopped back, "Don't be doing that!"

There was a rumbling sound, and one of Bunny's tunnels opened up in between them.

"What?" Jack grinned, "You think a hole is going to stop me from getting to you?"

Bunny looked down at the hole in concern, completely ignoring the fact that Jack had been about to instigate a game of tag. "I didn't do that, Mate," Bunnymund frowned, looking down at the hole with caution. There was only one person in the world, as far as the Easter Bunny knew, who could open one of his tunnels besides him. "Oh, god… not her."

There was the sound of flutes and the beating of what sounded like tribal drums, or it could have been the rapid pattering of paws as they hit the ground. Jack wasn't quite certain, but, as soon as the noise started, a blur of dark brown leapt out of the hole. The tunnel closed up and standing in between Bunnymund and Jack was a figure that the Winter spirit had never seen before.

It was an animal, like Bunny, but it had slick, caramel colored fur, a short, thin tail, and small, round ears… well, small compared to the Easter Bunny's kangaroo-like appendages. This creature was thin, lithe, and looked to be built for extreme speed. If Jack was willing to make a bet, and based upon the curvy figure of this new creature it would be a fairly safe bet, the white-haired youth was going to say that their visitor was female. She turned to look at him, smiling and revealing two prominent front teeth the color of ivory. They weren't dirty, but they weren't white either; it was an odd thing to look at. In fact, everything about this creature was foreign and exciting.

"Hello," she bat her eyelashes at Jack, "What do we have here? Why I do believe it's Jack Frost!"

"I don't believe we've met," Jack blushed slightly.

"Oh, you probably don't remember it," she chuckled, "But back in '73 you scared me back into my hole three times in one week with the blizzard you sent over Punxsutawney. Winter got to last five extra weeks that year because I couldn't even leave the tunnel to see if I saw my shadow or not."

"Huh?" Jack looked at her in confusion.

"Oh, no you don't, Sheila!" Bunny butted in, stepping between Jack and the mystery creature, whom Jack now was guessing to be a spirit of some kind.

"Aster!" the new creature gave the Easter Bunny a crushing hug, gripping him around his waist and hoisting him into the air. "How have you been!?"

"Put me down! You furry she-devil! And what have I told you about using my tunnels, eh?!" Bunny protested, pushing at the female to try and dislodge himself.

"Oh, you know you don't mean it," she giggled, setting the rabbit down, "Besides, it's the fastest way for me to travel!"

"Why don't you try digging your own?" Aster frowned, smoothing out his fur from where she had disrupted it.

"But yours are already dug," she smiled, "And they go everywhere I need them too."

"Uh, hello," Jack waved a hand between the two of them, "Is someone going to introduce me to the somewhat disturbingly attractive… um… sorry, I have no idea what you are?"

The girl looked at Jack, her eyes wide in astonishment, and she smiled at the flattery.

"Jack, Groundhog," Bunny pointed to the girl, "Groundhog, this is Jack Frost."

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait…" Jack laughed in disbelief, holding his stomach with one arm and clutching his staff with the other to stay upright, "You're telling me that _the_ Groundhog is a girl?"

"You got a problem with that?" she asked, her paws clenching into fists. Her demeanor changed almost instantly. One minute she had been nice and carefree; now she looked positively lethal. Her eyes seemed to glow red with anger, and she managed to pull what appeared to be a hand grenade, in the shape of a pinecone, out of a pack she had strapped on her hip.

"Not at all," Jack started laughing harder. It was one thing that the Easter Bunny had turned out to be a boomarang tossing, Crocodile Dundee imitating warrior bunny, but for Jack to learn that the Groundhog was practically a furry terminator? It was too hilarious for words.

"Why in the hell is he laughing?" The Groundhog turned to Bunnymund in confusion, "Is he broken or something?"

"No," Bunny smiled fondly at the boy, "That's just Jack."

"I see…" the girl looked at the Winter spirit as if he were the most peculiar thing she'd ever experienced.

"Ahem," the Easter Spirit drew her attention back by clearing his throat, "Any specific reason why you raided my tunnels to… drop in?" He made a dipping motion with a paw to illustrate her popping up out of the ground.

"Oh! Right!" the Groundhog chuckled and tucked the grenade back into her back for safekeeping, "I was sent here by Mother Nature! She heard some horrible whispers tonight and wanted someone to check it out. Everyone looks alright."

"Does that look alright to you?" Bunny motioned to the Workshop, or at least the charred, blistered remainder of what was left.

'Holy cow!" she hopped back, her tail jittering nervously, "What the bloody hell happened?"

"Nightmares," Bunny growled, "And something else, though we aren't sure what they were. We're calling them Shamblers for now."

"Geeze," she looked around at the destruction. Darksand littered the snow, broken glass and stray shingles were everywhere, and everything else looked like it had suffered from an aerial bombardment. "Is everyone safe?"

"Luckily, yes," Aster sighed, "Though we're trying to get some of the Workshop repaired tonight, so that the Yeti and elves have somewhere to sleep."

"And if you can't get it fixed?"

"Then they can stay in the warren and come back in the morning," Bunny said finally.

"The Warren is a bit too warm for Yeti," she mused, "But I supposed it could work out in a pinch."

"No! No no no," Bunny held up a hand, "I know that look. Don't even think about talking to North."

"What's going on?" Jack asked, speaking up for the first time, his curiosity getting the better of him. Jack had been content to watch the interaction between Bunny and his self-proclaimed nemesis, but now he wanted to know what was going unsaid between the two. It seemed like they had a level of nonverbal communication that bordered upon telepathy. Even though Jack knew that wasn't the case.

"I was going to offer that the Yeti could come to Punxsutawney," she shrugged, "It's colder there, and my den is more than large enough."

"You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea," Jack mused, "I could probably go swing by and visit Jamie." He also wanted to see if Rustle was doing alright, but Jack knew better than to mention the Summer spirit around Bunny.

"North is going to want to stay here," Bunny insisted, "But if you don't believe me you can ask him yourself."

"Fine!" the Groundhog stuck her nose into the air and let out a "humph!"

"Fine!" Bunny growled in response, watching the female stalk off through the snow.

"So it isn't just me," Jack grinned. "You're like this with everyone."

"I am not!" Aster protested.

Jack Frost gave the Easter Bunny a knowing look, both of his eyebrows raised in skepticism, which pointedly informed the rabbit that he was in denial.

"I'm not," Bunny protested weakly, turning to fiddle with a broken window shutter and refusing to look at Jack's knowing expression.

* * *

The Groundhog returned a few minutes later and shrugged, "You were right. He wants to stay. That man is stubborn."

"Says the pot about the kettle," Bunny smirked.

"You do realize that you are the picture of irony at the moment," Jack chuckled, then he realized that he too was basically guilty of the same thing. Wow, wasn't that a vicious circle?

"Ok, well, it's been a blast," Bunny muttered, tapping his foot on the ground and opening up the tunnels, "But… time for you to go!"

"Getting rid of me, eh?" the Groundhog shook her head, "Where are your manners?"

"Dig your own tunnels, and I'll see if I can muster up some common courtesy," the Easter spirit pointed to the hole, as if he could force her to hop inside.

"Wait!" Jack called out, "I still didn't get your name."

"Asteria," the Groundhog winked at him, "After the Amazonian warrior. Mother Earth has a sense of humor."

"Wait," he pointed at Bunnymund, "Aster…" he then pointed at the Groundhog, "Asteria…" Then the world seemed to kind of explode, "You two are related!"

"Nope! Not at all!" Bunny said, a bit too quickly to be believable.

"Oh, you can't hide me from everyone," she sighed, wrapping her arm around Bunnymund's shoulders, "We're practically identical twins. Mother Earth just gave me a better sense of style and direction."

"You use my tunnels for crying out loud!" Bunny groaned, "That's my direction!"

"But I was smart enough to save myself the trouble. Well, I'm off to give my report. I'll tell Mother you said, hi!" Asteria winked, hopping into the hole, "See you around!"

As she vanished from sight, the snowy ground swallowing up the entrance to the tunnel, Jack turned to the Easter Bunny and grinned.

"Don't you even say it…" Bunny warned him.

"Oh, I wasn't going to say a word," Jack's smile was positively gleeful, "Aster."

He left the word just hanging in the air, running off and taunting the Easter spirit with his song-like laughter. Bunny rushed off to try and catch the white-haired spirit, even though time and time again that had been a fruitless endeavor.

Aster hated knowing that Jack had so much knowledge about his personal life. None of the other Guardians were aware of his relationship to the Groundhog. Yes, North and Toothiana understood that he didn't get along well with the other spirit, and Bunny was certain that Sandman had his suspicions. Now? Now, Jack Frost, the one person in the world who irritated Bunnymund more than his own sibling, had information that had been one of the best kept secrets of the last two hundred years.

How was it that the Winter spirit always seemed to be involved in the important events of his life. Was it fate playing a cruel trick on him? Bunnymund wasn't certain, but he wished that the universe would tell him what was going on. He didn't like feeling so helpless around Jack Frost. It made him vulnerable, and when he felt vulnerable, Aster was at a loss. The only thing that seemed to be on his mind recently was that wonderfully playful, white-haired, smiling troublemaker.

Jack Frost had become one of the most important things in the world to the Easter Bunny.

"Huh," he muttered to himself, stopping in the middle of the snow and letting the Winter spirit escape, "When did that happen?"

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**A/N -**

**I know, I know! There are probably dozens of questions now! Do not fret! I have answers for them. Most of them won't be answered til later, when we meet Mother Earth, which will happen around New Years. So, please bear with me. We will be having another update tomorrow, since I whipped this chapter up last night. It came out of thin air and kind of screwed up my updating order, so now you are all going to get one chapter a day until Christmas. Aren't I amazing?**

***whispers conspiratorially* Leave me a Review to tell me how amazing I am. ;)**


	13. Up on the Housetop

**Well, here we go. This chapter starts the Christmas Eve arc, which was supposed to be two chapters long, but chapter 11 ended up being HUGE (kinda like chapter 9 was, so it will also be two parts. Of course, I'm a wonderful person and I will continue updating every day until Christmas).**

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**Chapter 10**

It was Christmas eve and the North Pole was still a mess.

Elves and Yeti were bustling around, boarding up holes in the roof, repairing windows, replacing burnt remnants of the previous woodwork with fresh-crafted carpentry, but in all of the hustle and bustle of trying to repair the damage, very little progress had actually been made. As Jack Frost looked around, he couldn't see how they were going to make it for the flight this evening.

The Winter spirit shoved his right hand into his hoodie and leaned against his staff with a sigh, "This is hopeless."

"Nothing is hopeless, mate," Bunny hopped up, carrying a stack of mahogany boards which would be used to repair many of the burnt, charred places in the floor of the Globe Room.

"Allow me to rephrase," Jack said sarcastically, "There is no way that this place is going to be ready by tonight. Have they even fixed the sleigh?" North had been working on his favorite method of transportation for the past week, and to Jack's knowledge there was still a lot of work to be done.

"Not yet," Bunny's nose twitched, which was a sign of concern, but he gave Jack a reassuring smile, "But we'll make it!"

"Speak for yourself," Tooth said buzzing by with swarm of her fairies, "I don't know if my wings can take much more of this… take shingles to the roof, bring nails to the Barn. I think they're about to fall off!" The fairy pointed to her wings, which were buzzing and stopping sporadically like a dying engine. As if to accentuate her point, the mini-fairies all made heavy panting sounds and mimed exhaustion.

"You should take a breather, Shelia," Bunny shifted the stack of boards for a better grip, "No one is askin' ya to work yourself to death."

"But there's still so much to be done! And tomorrow's Christmas!" Tooth protested.

"Ha ha! Did someone say Christmas?" North's laughter belted into the room, surprising everyone.

The Jolly Guardian of Wonder looked as if he had just stepped out from a good night's rest. He was bright eyed, vibrant, and exuded energy. Just from looking at him, you would never know that he had been working non-stop this past week to repair his workshop.

"We were talking about how there is no way everything around he is going to be ready in time," Jack sighed again, "At least tell us you have fixed the sleigh."

"No, sleigh is not fixed," North said.

Jack, Bunny, and Toothiana all looked crestfallen. Jack let go of his staff, the wooden branch falling to lean against one of the work tables, and he shoved both hands as deep into his hoodie as they could go. Tooth stopped fluttering all together, and for the first time that week she perched herself somewhere.

"Well that's it then," Bunny set his stack of boards down, "There's no way we can deliver all those presents in one night without the sleigh."

"Eh, we do not need sleigh," North chuckled.

"Come again, Mate?"

"We do not need sleigh," North grinned, reaching into the pocket of his pants and pulling out the magic snow globe he used to teleport from one place to the other. "We travel by snow globe."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Jack held up his hand to get everyone's attention, "But that one snow globe isn't going to be enough. We have no way of carrying all those presents, no navigational system, no naughty or nice list…"

"Everything we need is right here!" North pointed to the Workshop floor. "Elves have reprinted Naughty and Nice list, Yeti have repaired Globe, and…" North motioned towards Phil the Yeti who appeared carrying a large sea chest of polished oak and pine, banded together with silver and iron. "We have these!"

The silver furred Yeti opened the chest to reveal four, shining, sparkling snow globes of various size and color. One was about the size of a golf ball, with exquisite diamond filigree; another globe was the size of a softball and covered with two golden plates at the top and bottom; there were a pair of identical snow globes that had little lines of hand-blown glass patterns all over their surface, the only difference being that one was red and the other was green. Taking into account the globe North had, that gave them five total.

One for each Guardian.

"Oh… you've been holding out on us, North," Bunny grinned, picking up the softball sized globe, "Are you suggesting what I'm thinking?"

"Is something of great minds and similar thought, eh, Bunny?" North bumped the rabbit with his shoulder, "This way we can teleport to and from Workshop. Problem is solved yes?"

"Ok, ok…" Jack grinned, "This could work!"

Tooth and her fairies all fluttled into the air in excitement, "Oh! this will be just like last time!"

Sandy appeared in one of the windows; he had dressed himself in a painter's uniform made of dream sand, and he had a golden paintbrush in his hand. The dream keeper hadn't heard anything the other Guardians had been speaking about, so naturally he produced a question mark above his head.

"You hear that, Sandman?" Jack chuckled, "North just challenged us to a rematch."

"Did I now?" North smirked, crossing his arms so that he towered over the white-haired boy. The Naughty and Nice tattoos etched upon his forearms were perfectly visible from Jack's position. "I am having… what is phrase? Home field advantage."

"That may be, Buccko!" Bunny hopped up, "But without your sleigh, you're left delivering things on foot… and that is my turf!" The Easter Bunny put a thumb to his chest proudly.

Sandman hopped into the room, a series of pictures appearing over his head as he changed into his pilot's uniform.

"Sandy's right!" Tooth giggled excitedly, "The two of you can't fly! That gives the three of us…" she pointed to herself, Sandy, and Jack, "The obvious advantage."

"Is race then!" North grinned, ready for the challenge.

"First person to finish a continent?" Bunny offered up with a raised eyebrow.

"Someone has to take Europe and Australia," Tooth raised a finger as she brought of the fact that there were actually six populated continents and only five Guardians. "It's only fair."

"Those two are mine, Tooth," Bunny smirked, "Gotta get that home field advantage, aye, Mate?" He shot North a wink.

"I'll take North America," Jack picked up the golf ball sized globe out of Phil's chest, "I want to drop in on Jamie and Rustle, make certain everything's okay."

Sandman picked up one of the last remaining globes, the hand-blown one with red glass, and he produced a picture of the African continent. The more deserts meant more sand, and the more sand… well surely Sandy would have an advantage.

"Which leaves Asia and South America," North tossed the green globe to Toothiana, "Lady's choice."

"Asia for me," Tooth grinned, thinking of all the children she had visited there personally in the past year. How lovely it would be to deliver them Christmas?

"It is settled then! I will have Elves and Yeti separate toys accordingly. It is T-minus one hour till deliveries start," the robust man pulled on his hat and his fur overcoat, walking over to the fireplace where his swords were resting. Grasping the golden hilt of a cutlass he turned and pointed it at his fellow Guardians, "May the best one win!"

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Jamie was laid out on his roof, watching the sun as it slowly began to set. The sky looked like it was on fire, orange and red colors lit up the clouds, making them look like will-o-the-wisps floating above the world. The boy wore a t-shirt and shorts, even though the entire town of Burgess was covered in a thick layer of snow. Ever since he had started hanging out with Rustle, he noticed that the air around the Summer spirit was always a nice 70°. It was never too hot, unless he was wearing a bunch of layers, and it was never too cold. Jamie could dress comfortably and go outside, much to the horror of his mother and the jealousy of his friends, but to him… it was perfect.

The boy had always loved winter, loved watching the snow fall… Now, as he lay there watching the first stars appear in the sky, he could still enjoy the feeling and sights of winter, while not having to bother changing into winter pajamas. He had the best of both worlds.

Of course, if Jamie wanted to actually play in the snow, then he had to go and put on winter clothes, and Rustle had to keep his distance. Everything within about a ten-foot radius of the Summer spirit always ended up sprouting greenery. Snow melted, the air warmed, flowers bloomed. Most of the time Jamie's friends didn't even notice the changes, because the other kids were constantly moving and playing, it was hard to miss that one tree that still had leaves, or the small patch of grass that never seemed to have snow…

But Jamie always knew where Rustle was. Ever since that day, where he'd spent hours trying to figure out the Summer spirit's name, Jamie had been learning everything he could, and he had been watching Rustle intently. Jamie studied the blue-haired boy's mannerisms, the way he walked and talked and flew… the way Rustle would hop across rooftops and lampposts. There were so many similarities between Rustle and Jack Frost, it was very easy for Jamie to think they were almost the same person…

But then there were the differences. There was rarely any time when Jack wasn't smiling, or playing, or enjoying himself. The Winter spirit was the embodiment of fun and frolicking, and Jamie loved every minute that Jack Frost was in Burgess. Rustle on the other hand? One minute the Summer spirit would be playing, dancing through unaware children, causing their snowballs to turn to mush or creating just warm enough weather that they could take off their hats and scarves; then the very next minute Jamie would see this profound sense of serenity come over the spirit.

Rustle would stop whatever he was doing and just… breathe.

It was the most peaceful sight Jamie had ever seen, and everything around them would seem to shudder and hum with vibrancy and expectation. Jamie had never felt a feeling so liberating, as if he were free to do anything and everything. But… there was also something else. Something in Rustle's eyes that Jamie couldn't quite understand. It made Jamie sad though, a deep, penetrating sorrow that made him want to go find his mom and give her a huge hug, never letting her go.

Jamie could see a hint of this sadness in Rustle's face when he looked at him now. It was muted, hidden, but there as still a glint of it there… swimming in those deep, ocean blue eyes. Jamie wished there was something he could do to help, but Rustle wouldn't even let Jamie tell other kids about the Summer spirit's existence.

"I don't get it," Jamie said, finally voicing his confusion, "You've been here a week, but I'm the only person who even knows. If you'd just let me tell my friends…"

Rustle looked away from the last rays of sunlight and smiled gently down at the boy, "I know you mean well, but… it just doesn't feel right."

"I still don't get it." Jamie frowned, crossing his arms in a pout, "You're like… one of the coolest spirits ever, but no one gets to know?"

"You know," Rustle stuck out his tongue at the boy.

"But don't you want other people to know?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why can't I tell them!?" Jamie asked in exasperation, sitting up and turning around to look right at Rustle. He wanted to see just how the Summer spirit reacted.

Rustle bit his bottom lip, "I just… feel like it's cheating. Getting kids to believe in me is supposed to be my job."

"And you did!" Jamie smiled as he remembered willow tree in the park. Everyone in Burgess was talking about how it had just appeared there overnight, though some of the more skeptical citizens insisted that it had _always _been there; people just hadn't noticed.

"But I kinda of cheated on that one too," Rustle slouched looking down at the roof, "But I had to give you Jack's message, so I don't really feel too bad about it."

"And if I want to tell people about you?" Jamie asked tentatively, "Because you're exciting and other kids will think you're exciting? Isn't that kinda like how kids talk about Santa and the Easter Bunny?"

"Maybe…"

"Maybe?" Jamie tried to put on his best "mom" look, trying to force Rustle to cave in.

"Ok, yes!" Rustle shrugged.

Score one for the mom look! Jamie grinned in satisfaction, "And didn't you say you invented April Fool's day?"

"You bet it did!" the blue-haired spirit grinned when Jamie mentioned his self-fashioned holiday of pranks.

"Then technically you are just like Santa and the Easter Bunny," Jamie said off-handedly, as if he were pointing out a simple fact, "So I should get to talk to my friends about you all I want, especially since I believe in you."

"You little devil," Rustle grinned. He really couldn't be mad at Jamie for trying to bend the rules, or perhaps it wasn't that Jamie was bending the rules, but … that Rustle was afraid of what might happen if things started to change?

"That's what my mom says too!" Jamie laughed.

"Alright! Fine!" Rustle gave in, "You can tell your friends, but I'm not going to make another tree pop-up!"

"Agreed," Jamie held out his hand to shake on it, "I won't need your help!" The boy felt confident that after his friends had seen Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and the magical appearance of the Sandman… they could believe in Rustle too.

"We'll see…" Rustle shook Jamie's hand with some measure of excitement.

It was the first time Jamie had actually touched the spirit. Rustle's skin was warm and smooth, kind of like the sand on a beach, except not gritty. It was odd how the spirit embodied so many things of Summer: his tanned skin seemed to somehow keep in the warmth of the sun, the crazy hair looked as if a warm, Summer breeze lived there permanently, and Rustle's Hawaiian shirt always had some kind of weather pattern or it was the color of a summer sky. Right now, Jamie noticed that the Summer spirit's shirt seemed to be mirroring the sunset of Burgess, speckled with little sparkling dots that looked like stars. In that moment, Jamie had the profound realization that while Rustle was similar in many aspects… he was the complete opposite of Jack Frost.

Jack was always cool to the touch, and his white-hair, while messy always stayed in place: a perfect, individualistic design just like a snowflake. Jack's hoodie was the color of the sky during winter, covered in frost patterns… and Jack's skin? It was pure white, like moonlight radiated from inside him. Yes, the two spirits were complete opposites, but both were completely beautiful in their own right.

"You okay there?" Rustle asked, turning his head curiously. His wide-eyed gaze looked at Jamie with a measure of concern.

Jamie had to shake his head to clear his thoughts. "Yeah! I'm fine! Good! Just spaced out a little bit." Why was he thinking about these spirits so much? People would think he was obsessed or something. "I'm actually a little tired."

"Yeah," Rustle nodded, "I forget that kids have to sleep and stuff." Then Rustle looked shocked, "And today's Christmas Eve! If you don't get to sleep then you won't get presents!"

"Right!" Jamie was grateful for the out, "I'm gonna go to bed, and I'll see you in the morning. Bye, Rustle! Merry Christmas!" With that he jumped down from one slope of the roof to a lower one and then carefully lowered himself back into his bedroom window, shutting it once he was inside.

Jamie wasn't certain why he was so obsessed with how spirits looked, boy spirits for that matter… Images of Jack and Rustle popped into his head, and Jamie felt a slight heat flush across his checks. It left him feeling weird. He wondered if there was something wrong with him, perhaps he was coming down with a cold. It made sense, considering he'd been running around barefoot on his roof in the middle of winter.

Yeah! That was it. Just a cold…

Except Jamie didn't know that it was impossible to catch a cold in the presence of Rustle O. Thunder.

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**A/N - **

**All I want for Christmas is Reviews. :P I'm greedy like that.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The contest and fluffy romantic moments start tomorrow! It's my Christmas present to you. After Christmas though, the story really kicks into high gear and we start finding out just who our villain is going to be. So, stay tuned! There are great things in store!**


	14. It's a Race

**I had a bunch of ideas for the Christmas update of this story, and I think I kind of hurt myself by trying to do a race. I don't want to be harsh with myself, but I just feel like I failed to make this as exciting as it could have been. So, oh well. Enjoy it for what it is!**

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**Chapter 11**

"Is everybody ready?" North called out over the clamor of noise. Elves and Yeti were bustling about with packages and presents, ribbons and bows, all trying to tie up the last minute preparations. "Places! Everyone to their places! Is time for Christmas!"

"Oh! This is going to be exciting!" Toothiana giggled, holding her teleporting snow globe eagerly. She had a squadron of her mini fairies with her, who were all carrying a present, sometimes three or four of them were required to carry the larger ones, but they all looked eager to begin. "Ready over here!" Tooth called.

Sandy waved a hand, giving North a thumbs up. The dream maker had fashioned a Santa hat out of golden dreamsand, and his cloud was shaped like a sleigh being pulled by eight, golden manta rays. He looked the closest thing to Santa Clause in the Workshop that night, and the little Dream Guardian seemed to be excite as well.

"Hey, North!" Bunny called out, "You mind lending me a sack for these gifts? It'll look a little odd for me to carry them around in an Easter basket."

"Of course, Bunny!" the large man picked up a red, velvet sack from a hook on the wall and tossed it to the large rabbit.

Bunnymund hopped up and caught it, "Alright, then I'm ready and rarin' t'go!"

"Excellent!" North let out a chuckle that echoed around the room. "What about, Jack Frost?" The old man cast a curious eye at the Winter spirit.

Jack was standing by a work table, looking intently at the diamond covered snow globe he would be using for travel. The white haired boy looked a bit aloof, like his mind was elsewhere.

"Jack!" Bunny called out.

"Huh? What?" Jack spun around like he'd been caught doing something wrong.

"Are you ready, Jack Frost?" North grinned.

"Um… actually," Jack looked around, "I don't really have anything to carry gifts with."

"I may have solution for that." North held up a finger and then walked into his office. He returned a moment later carrying a black leather sack in one hand and something red and furry in his other hand. "Try this!" North shoved the sack into the Jack's hands and stuck the furry thing on Jack's head, turning the boy so he could look at himself in a mirror that two elves just happened to be carrying by.

Jack looked… odd. He had his staff in one hand and a black sack in the other, and on his head sat a red fur hat, shaped like a coonskin cap with a white tail that hung over his left ear. "None of this matches…"

"Then try this as well," North pulled out a package from behind his back. It was something wrapped in blue tissue paper with a white bow.

"What's this?" Jack looked at it oddly.

"Is Christmas present!" North beamed, "From all of us!" the old man gestured to Bunny, Sandy, Tooth, and then the whole workshop.

"For me?" Jack looked at he friends with wide eyes wanting to tear up.

"Of course, Jack," Tooth smiled at the boy, coming to give him a hug.

"We care about ya, Frostbite," Bunny winked, "Even if you do annoy us sometimes."

Sandman nodded, beaming his wide, gentle smile.

Not certain what to say, Jack set down the things he was carrying and took the package from North. He tore into the present delicately, pulling the tissue paper off to reveal a brand new hoodie. It wasn't like the ones you found in stores, the mass-produced and cheaply made ones; it was obviously hand-woven, the loops yarn coming together to make intricate snowflakes which flowed into one another and formed a gorgeous jacket. This hoodie was white, with thin silver veins streaking through the yair, and, like Jack's regular hoodie, it had hand-embroidered frost trails over the shoulders in shining blue thread. This truly was a work of art.

Looking up from the present, Jack smiled from ear-to-ear, "Thank you!"

The other Guardians all breathed a sigh of relief and returned Jack's smile. They had been worried; no one truly knew what to get the carefree Winter spirit for Christmas.

"Try it on!" Tooth encouraged.

Jack pulled off his blue hoodie, revealing with some surprise to Bunny and the others that he didn't wear a shirt underneath it, and then he pulled on his new, white one. He then picked up the red fur hat and put it back on his head, took up the black sack and his staff, and then turned to look in the mirror. He looked festive.

"You look like me," North grinned, "When I was younger."

"A thousand years younger," Bunny chuckled.

"Quiet, Bunny," Tooth scolded.

"That bag," North continued, pointing to the black leather sack he had given to the Jack Frost. "Was bag I used on very first Christmas! It is very special bag."

"And you're letting me use it?" Jack looked at the old man incredulously.

"Is only fair," North chuckled, "After all you are only spirit who does not deliver something to all the children of the world in single day."

"Good point…" Jack muttered. All of a sudden he realized how much of a disadvantage he had against the other spirits.

"I know is good point!" North held up a finger, "I made it!" With a deep laugh the Guardian of Wonder picked up his own red velvet sack and walked over to the center of the Globe Room, "Now! We begin count down!"

Phil the Yeti came forward, holding a brass gong and a mallet, and began counting, "Tunt! Nunt! Ent! Suv! Seth!"

The elves all started jittering excitedly, milling around in large groups that either watched Phil like he was the most fascinating creature in the world, or they watched the Guardians prepare to deliver Christmas.

Toothiana picked up a package and revved her wings, making them sound like she was throttling an engine. Bunny grabbed up an armful of toys and tossed them into his bag. Sandy was organizing the pile of toys that the Yeti had piled into his sand sleigh, and North was busy looking up at the World Globe, counting all of the dazzling, golden lights that represented the children who would be getting presents tonight.

"Fig! Fon! Twi! Toog!" Phil slammed the mallet into the gong on the final beat of the countdown, and the Guardians were off! Christmas Eve deliveries had begun!

Almost simultaneously, the five guardians threw their snow globes in front of them, opening up glittering, spiral vortexes that would transport them to the first towns on their delivery routes.

* * *

Bunny was the first through his portal, leaping through at breakneck pace. He landed in London, catching the snow globe as it reformed in front of him and placing it in a pouch on the belt he always had slung over his shoulders. He had never delivered Christmas presents before, but how hard could it be? The first house was right there, and Bunny wasn't about to go down the chimney when he could use a tunnel to get in.

With a double thump of his foot, the Easter spirit opened up his tunnels and hopped in, opening the tunnel again once he was underneath the house. The moment the tunnel opened, a Christmas tree fell right on top of Bunnymund, knocking him to the floor of the tunnel with an "Oof!".

"Okay," Bunny grumbled, "So not _that _simple."

It took him a few minutes to push the tree back up into the house, and he vowed to be more careful next time. He set out the presents, then thumped open his tunnels and headed to the next house on the lane.

* * *

Meanwhile Tooth was in her element. She had come out of her portal in the middle of Tokyo, and she had her list ready and waiting. She began directing her fairies just as she would have if they were collecting teeth, "Those presents go to apartment 14, and that one goes to number 17. Those go to the fourth house over there, and that bicycle goes to the little boy in the penthouse! Oh! I wanna take that!"

Toohiana picked up the bike and fluttered up to the top of the apartment building. She looked through the wall of plate glass windows at the wonderful Christmas tree that was decorated and already covered with presents. She was also shocked to see a brand new, high-speed bicycle sitting under the tree. It was much shinier and sleeker than the "vintage" bicycle North had kept stored in the Workshop's vault, but something about this sleeker, shiner bicycle lacked the vibrant life that was expected from a Christmas present.

Without hesitation, Toothiana used her magic to phase through the windows, and she set the bike down in front of the newer and shinier version. Hopefully the child would see the love and care that had gone into making something special, rather than the mass produced glitz and glamour of new age toys.

* * *

Sandman was on a roll. He was delivering presents the same way he delivered dreams. As his newly fashioned dreamsand sleigh flew over the town, he sent down dreams and presents. Each dream he sent out to the children also carried a perfectly wrapped, brilliantly colored packed. The golden animals set the presents next to the child's bedside and then took up their vigil of giving the child a night of golden, happy dreams.

At this pace, Sandy was certain he would not only finish first, but finish soon enough that he could still have time for a glass of eggnog and some gloating. The other Guardians had completely steamrolled him when they had the race for collecting Teeth, but not tonight! No, tonight would be a victory for the Guardian of Dreams.

Sandy smiled happily as he sent down a herd of golden dolphins to deliver the next round of gifts.

* * *

North popped out of a chimney with a puff of smoke, having emptied yet another bag of gifts. He took of his hat and looked up at the full moon with a smile. "What a night, eh, Manny?"

The moon smiled down at him and agreement.

"Who would have thought it?" North chuckled. "Your Guardians have become more cooperative since Jack Frost arrived." The bearded Guardian chuckled and wagged a finger up at the celestial home of the Moon Spirit, "You are crafty, Man in Moon. I give you that."

There was a flicker of moonlight and shadows, to which North raised his eyesbrows in surprise, "I am falling behind am I? Well! Can't be having that, can we!?" He shouldered his pack, and threw the snow globe, jumping through and landing in the workshop to pick up more toys.

"What is status update?"

A Yeti came up with a clipboard, "Furnabba!"

"What is this? North America, twenty percent complete, Asia, thirty percent complete! Ack! I _am_ behind!" He threw his bag down and began tossing handfuls of presents into its confines, "Am I or am I not Santa Claus?" North thumped his chest, "I will show them how it is done!"

With a loud "Ho! Ho! Ho!" He jumped through the snow portal again, enjoying himself more on this night than he had in years of delivering Christmas.

* * *

Jack had just finished commanding the Great Snowman invasion of Quebec, and he couldn't be prouder of himself!

Hundreds of snow men marching down streets and lanes and alleys, carrying presents of all shapes and sizes and delivering their score in record pace! When he had first started off, Jack had felt that he was at a disadvantage to the other Guardians. The all had knowledge of how to do something like this, getting in and out of houses and delivering things to children. Jack didn't know the first thing about it, but he had been experimenting. Houses with dog doors Jack could send a frozen puppy through to deliver the presents, if he had to use a chimney, well Jack would have the wind let him gently down it, but this? This had been his masterpiece.

He had made an army of snowmen, and using the wind and other smaller snow creatures he had created, Jack could open doors and windows and the snow men could just waltz on in and deliver the presents, and then walk back out and sit down in the front yards, or on sidewalks. No one would be any wiser that someone had been there… they would believe in Santa.

Smiling to himself for being clever, Jack had forgotten one tiny little detail about modern day houses: Alarm systems.

One of his snowmen had triggered the alarm, waking up nearly the entire block he was working on. People where stumbling and shouting inside the house, lights came on, and Jack was freaking out.

He grabbed his staff and willed the snowmen to freeze, halting in their positions. It wasn't the way Jack wanted to do things, considering dozens of snowmen scattering lawns and streets would look a little conspicuous… but what could he do?

Wracking his brain, Jack suddenly wished that Sandman could be here to put everyone asleep… but that wasn't an option, considering the Dreamkeeper was in Africa at the moment. "Come on!" Jack smacked his hand to his forehead in frustration, "Think!"

Then he had an idea. He went up to the window where the little girl who lived in the house was sleeping and tapped on the window. The girl looked at him with wide eyes like she was going to scream, but Jack held up his finger to his lips, and she understood. The little blonde girl in blue and purple tie-dyed pajamas walked over to her window and opened it.

"Are you Santa?" she breathed in awe.

"Sort of," Jack grinned, "I'm like his helper… but right now I need your help."

"Really!?" the girl giggled.

"Yep," Jack nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out a doll, "My magic set off your house alarm. Think you can help me?"

The girl nodded eagerly, taking her doll and running downstairs. Jack breathed a sigh of relief and floated up to the roof, waiting. He heard the little girl talking to her parents, explaining that she set the alarm off when she went downstairs to peak at what Santa had brought her. The girls parents quickly got on the phone to the alarm company, and, after a few embarrassed apologies to the neighbors, the street returned to a quiet little cove. Thankfully no one had thought twice about the unusual amount of snowmen present in their yards.

Jack picked up his staff, and with a new caution, continued about his rounds.

* * *

"Ok! That one goes to Mongolia, and that one goes to Tibet," Tooth was directing her fairies from inside the Workshop now, trying her best to keep up with the sheer volume of children in Asia. How North managed to do this alone, she couldn't believe it! "Oh no! Sorry, that one goes to the Philippines! That one goes to Tibet!" the Tooth Fairy flustered, double checking the list to make certain she got it correct, "Yes! Go! Go! Go!" She shooed the fairies through the portal, just as another wave came up to her with their gifts.

"You're looking a bit tuckered out there, Sheila," Bunny commented. His portal had opened up a few moments ago, and the rabbit had been quietly refilling his bag and watching the Guardian of Memories.

"There are just so many!" Toothiana exclaimed, "I wanted to be out there doing each and every one, but… there's not enough time!"

"Tell me about it," Bunny grinned, "I just finished Europe, or so I thought! Completely forgot Bolivia!"

"What about Australia?"

"Still have to get there," Bunny saluted, throwing his snow globe and vanishing through the portal with a hop.

"How are we doing?" Tooth questioned her number one helper: Baby Tooth.

The little fairy held up her own copy of the list and jittered excitedly. The tiny fairy had a minature quill pen and was furiously marking off names from the least as each of her sisters vanished through the portal with a present.

"Fifty percent? Well then the hard part is over," Toothiana's wings beat with renewed vigor, "It's a downhill contest from here!"

* * *

Dogs… why did people have to own dogs?! Bunny thought as he charged towards the chimney, leaping up it to escape the barking and snapping of a miniature Chihuahua army. The eight little "darlings", as their collars read in rhinestones, had chased him from the living room, through the kitchen, and back until Bunny had decided to pull a Santa. The Easter spirit was now stuck halfway up, inching his way up as the noisy little devils below him threatened to wake up the entire house. Thankfully he had managed to lay out all of the presents, so the only issue that mattered now was escaping.

"It's bad enough that Jamie owns a greyhound," Bunny grumbled, "They at least know what to do when they chase a rabbit. But you lot!?" he growled down at them, managing to scare two of the minute terrors away, "You just like to bark doncha?"

As if to affirm his question, they picked up barking in a crescendo. The noise traveling up the chimney in a raucous echo, which forced Bunny to pin his ears back and pray that he could climb out of this situation faster. "Memo to self," he moaned, "Never ask a dog a rhetorical question."

* * *

Sandman was finished. His portal warped into the Workshop, and he road in on a triumphant golden sleigh, raising his arms above his head in victory. A little golden trophy appeared above his head as he smiled.

"Not quite so, my friend," North said, looking up from the globe console. He raised his glass of hot chocolate in salute of Sandy's accomplishment, "You are coming in second place."

The Dreamkeeper's mouth opened in shock. A series of images floating across his head in a jumble. The basic meaning of it was: _How in the world?_

"Was simple really," North shrugged, "One continent in one night? Is like cake cut into pieces! Get it? I only had one piece… so it was piece of cake!" The white haired man chuckled at his own cleverness, going back to the readouts on his console.

Sand sprayed out of Sandman's ears like steam, and he floated over to the place where Toothiana was directing her fairies.

"Oh, hey! Sandy! You're finished?"

Sandman nodded, offering her a question mark in return.

"Almost! I broke down and went out on a few deliveries myself, otherwise I would have finished sooner I think."

The Guardian of Dreams face palmed. If Toothiana hadn't been a dingbat, then he would have lost to her too! Well, he would take small victories where he could. It was understandable to lose the competition to North; after all, the Guardian of Wonder was Master of Christmas. He normally did every child in the world in a single night. If North had lost, then Sandman would have thought something was wrong with the Guardian of Wonder; however, losing to Tooth and the others? Sandy would have felt inferior. After all, he was the only other Guardian who managed to visit all the children of the world in a single night, though his job was easier than North's because Sandy could send his dream sand from miles away.

Sandman gave Toothiana several more pictures: A question mark, a bunny, and then Jack Frost.

"Bunny had some trouble in Bolivia. Chihauhau's trapped him in a chimney!" Tooth giggled, and Sandy held his stomach as he silently chuckled. "As for Jack, you just missed him. He's almost finished too." Tooth grinned as she went back to her fairies, leaving Sandy to mill about with his own thoughts which generally involved random sand pictures spawning over his head without much meaning. Right now he was currently preoccupied with thinking about monkeys, as he had seen a family of them on this Christmas rounds this night. At that moment an entire clan of miniature, golden monkeys were currently dancing above his head, much to the amusement of the elves nearby.

Sandy paid them little mind. He just wanted Jack and Bunny to get back. There were many things that needed to be discussed, pressing matters that had been put off in favor of Christmas, which was definitely a priority, but now that a crisis had been averted, it was time for the Guardians to get down to the real business at hand: finding out who had attacked the North Pole.

The Dreamkeeper was still quite unsettled by the battle that had taken place here. Those Shamblers were creatures made out of Nightmare sand, but they were creatures he had never witnessed before in all his years as a Guardian. That meant that their foe was either new, and extremely creative, or they were very old… and very powerful. Neither option gave Sandy much optimism about the coming trials ahead, but he was confident in his friends. Once their put their minds to it, they could overcome any hardships together.

* * *

A/N -

This is just Part 1 of Ch. 11! I had a great deal of stuff I wanted to write for it, and rather than give you a wall of text; thus I split it into two parts (plus I get two updates out of it! I'm so clever!).

I will update the next part tomorrow. Warning! It is full of fluff, romance, and love triangly goodness! So… now you can sit on that for the night. Bwahaha!

As always, I encourage you to Read/Review/Recommend me to others! And I will see you tomorrow for Part 2!


	15. T'is the Season

**Alright, here is the second part of the Christmas arc. After this the story moves full head into major plot points and advancement, so, before the storm starts blowing in... enjoy a little holiday cheer. Everyone has a gift they'd like to give Jack, but who does Jack have a present for?**

**Psst... Sarai wants reviews for Christmas! *wink* *wink***

* * *

The Eastern Seaboard was almost finished. Jack only had one more stop to make, and he had saved the best for last: Burgess. It had been almost a week since he had seen Jamie or Rustle, and he wanted to check in on the two of them almost as much as he wanted them to see his new outfit. Jamie would probably be asleep, but there was nothing in the rules against waking a kid up… was there?

As Jack entered the airspace above the little cove town of Burgess, he summoned a flock of snow doves. They were the least conspicuous of his snow-crafted animals, seeing as how doves naturally came in white, and he could send dozens of them to deliver presents at once; they also had an easier time finding entrances to houses than his snowmen, with a less chance of accidentally melting too. Once the presents were on their way to being delivered, Jack had the wind steer him towards Jamie's house, but something on the ground caught his eye.

It was Bunnymund. The Easter spirit was standing on the sidewalk, waving his paws in the air to get Jack's attention.

Doing his best to repress a laugh at the peculiar image of the Easter Bunny waving his arms like a lunatic, Jack steered himself to the ground. He landed with a feather's step, twirling his staff once before letting it come to rest on his shoulder, "To what to I owe the pleasure? Aren't you supposed to be home visiting family? I'm sure the other kangaroo's have missed you."

"Ha ha," Bunny crossed his arms, "Really funny, Snowflake."

"I do fancy myself a comedian," Jack smirked. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Well," Bunny paused for a second, his ears flattening against his head. Jack had come to learn that this was a sign of nervousness. "I've come t'give you your Christmas present."

Jack looked down at his new hoodie and then looked up in confusion, "I thought that _this_ was my Christmas present?"

"Yes, well… that was something North and Toothiana came up with." The Easter spirit looked down at the snow covered sidewalk, kicking one of his feet nervously and displacing some snow, "I wanted to give you something with a more personal touch."

"Okay…" Jack looked around, "Where it is?"

"Well, you're gonna have t'follow me, Mate." Without a warning, Bunny took off at full run towards the woods. He knew without even looking back that Jack would follow him. The Winter spirit couldn't resist a competition, especially if it was one posed by Bunnymund, and so the race was off.

Jack caught up to Bunny in a split second. With the wind at his back, Jack Frost could be as fast as required, but it was obvious that the other Guardian wasn't going all out. With a burst of speed, Jack flew past Bunnymund, sticking his tongue out, "If you're gonna show me where it is, you're going to have to pick up the pace."

"Thought you'd never ask," Bunny grinned, kicking it into overdrive. He shot forward like a gray blur, kicking up snow in his wake. Jack had to fly higher to avoid getting hit by the spray being launched into the air by Bunnymund's sudden surge.

The two of them hit the forest in seconds, and the race changed paces. Bunny wove in and out of trees, ducking under branches and bouncing off tree trunks like a furry pinball. All the while, Jack launched himself into the boughs, jumping from branch to branch gracefully as he soared through the winter wonderland. Jack knew where they were headed; this was the way he always came when he went to the pond. Why was Bunny leading him there? They burst through the tree line at precisely the same moment, and Jack had to throw on his breaks he was so utterly shocked.

The sight before him was completely different from when he left it. Yes, the surface of the lake was still frozen, and frost patterns intricately covered its surface, but the normally snow covered banks were completely changed. Rather than snow and the occasional patch of grass that was visible, the shores of Jack's pond were covered in luminescent, white lilies. The newly grown flowers were so close together that they could have been mistaken for snow, except for the fact that their petals seemed to pulse with the pearlescent light of the moon. Hundreds and hundreds of the flowers swayed in the cool Winter's breeze. The sight was so overwhelming that Jack had to come down to earth, landing on the pond's frozen surface as he walked to get a closer look at the flowers.

"So?" Bunny asked gingerly, walking up to the white haired boy, "What do you think?"

"You did this?" Jack asked incredulously. "For me?"

Bunny nodded, his ears twitching anxiously.

"Why?" Jack still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Bunnymund, the Guardian who seemed to like him the least, had done so much for him.

"Well," the Easter Guardian found himself tongue-tied, 'I… well, y'see?" With a sigh, Aster drooped a bit. He couldn't say what he really wanted to, so he settled for a partial truth, "You seemed down a few days back, asking me if I was angry at ya. So I wanted to do something nice, to show you that I… actually care about you, Frostbite." Bunny smiled softly, "Even if you do ruffle my fur sometimes."

In a sudden jolt of motion, Jack launched himself at the Easter Bunny, throwing his arms around the rabbit in a hug. The gesture completely caught Aster off guard, and he felt himself flush in embarrassment.

"Thank you," Jack said, letting go. "It means a lot. I mean, this must have taken you a long time… and you still have to do the presents."

"Nonsense," Bunny grinned, "I finished an hour ago… came straight here afterwards, because I wanted to see the look on your face when you saw 'em." He pointed to the flowers, "I made them myself. They're a new breed." Bunnymund gave Jack a sideways glance, "I call them Frost Lilies."

The white haired Winter spirit raised an eyebrow at his companion, "Oh, really?"

"Yep," Bunny chuckled, "They'll only grow when it's below freezing, so they'll be around as long as you are."

Jack thought that was the nicest gesture anyone had ever made, even if he didn't say so out loud. Truly, Jack didn't quite have the words to put his feelings into a proper expression, so all he could do was to look at Bunnymund and smile. It was the warmest and most honest smile that Jack Frost had ever given, and it sent a flush of warmth through the Easter Bunny's face.

Aster was grateful once again that his fur kept his emotions hidden, because tonight he really didn't feel in control around the Winter Guardian. Everything about Jack just set his fur on edge, like there was an electrical current in the air between them. Every fiber of the Easter spirit's being was telling him to kiss Jack Frost, to confess his feelings… but nothing about Jack's posture, demeanor, or attitude showed any similar feelings or inclinations. Jack Frost just looked serene as he stood there, surrounded by the beauty of his element.

Bunnymund was at a loss for what to do, and, for the first time in their relationship, the two Guardians just stood there in silence without anything to say. It was a perfectly peaceful moment, two lone figures standing on a frozen lake, bathed in the soft pale glow of the moon and the luminescent light of the pale flowers that surrounded them.

"Well, as much as I would like to stand here all night," Jack grinned, "I still have one more delivery to make."

And just like that the moment was gone. Bunny let out a defeated sigh, disappointed with himself for not acting on his feelings. "Alright, Mate!" he gave a mock salute, "See ya back at the workshop! Now that Christmas is over we've got even more pressing work to do, and I'm sure North will need more help getting the place back in order."

"Of course," Jack grinned, launching into the air, "Later, Cottontail!"

Bunny looked wistfully up at the fading Winter spirit. "Ah, well! There's always New Year's," Aster comforted himself before tapping his foot on the ground to open up his tunnels, hopping into the hole and vanishing into the night.

* * *

Jack flew towards Jamie's house as quickly as he could. The Winter spirit was elated! He'd never before had a Christmas where he'd been given a present, and now not only had he gotten this new hoodie, but Bunny had gone out of his way and decorated the pond with flowers! Flowers which the Easter spirit had named after him!

He hadn't told Bunnymund this, but the flowers had been the most kind-hearted gesture Jack had ever seen. They had filled him with so much excitement and happiness that Jack had overloaded. He was hugging the Kangaroo before his thought processes had even kicked in, but Jack didn't really care. It had felt right to show his gratitude in that manner, and Bunny had been so warm and soft that there was no way Jack would ever regret having done it.

As Jamie's house came into view, Jack was greeted with a familiar sight. Rustle was perched atop the chimney, looking up at the moon and completely unaware that Jack had come up behind him. Grinning wickedly, Jack snuck up on the Summer spirit and whispered in his ear, "Did you miss me?"

Rustle startled, half-jumping and half-falling from his perch, landing awkwardly on the roof. The blue-haired spirit looked up at the person who had frightenend him, and his face changed from startled to excited. "Jack! You're back!"

"Hey! That rhymed," the Winter spirit chuckled, "And yeah!"

"I was worried," Rustle said softly, "We hadn't heard from you, and Jamie kept asking questions."

"Wait," Jack held up a hand, shock registering on his face, "Jamie can see you?!"

"Yep!" Rustle responded with a toothy grin, holding his hands behind his back as he leaned forward to look at the white-haired boy. "I took a literal leaf out of your book. He was sad when you didn't show up."

"So you nipped his nose?" Jack joked.

"Never!" Rustle mocked being appalled, "If anything a random snowflake did the work for me!" He gave a sly grin.

Jack landed on the roof, placing his staff behind his neck and letting it lay across his shoulders, using it to drape his arms on, "Not fair, using my own tricks against me."

"I'm the master trickster," Rustle protested, "I invented using people's tricks against them."

A coy smile found itself on Jack's face as he watched the Summer spirit get defensive, and something inside him was enticed by the way Rustle nervously toyed with a stray lock of blue hair. "So…" Jack continued, "You were worried about me?"

"Well, yeah," Rustle shrugged, "You said you were going to come right back, but it's been a week." He was trying not to make eye contact. Something about Jack's eyes spoke of mischief and something… electrifying. It was a sort of predatory glint, not one that made Rustle feel in danger, but rather one that made him feel vulnerable, as if Jack could see right through him.

"There was trouble," Jack explained, "I should have come and explained, but as you can see…" He motioned to the fur hat and his black bag, "It would appear that tonight, I'm Santa!"

"You look weird," Rustle giggled.

"Don't get used to it!" Jack found himself giggling as well, "But you don't really get to argue with North about these things."

"Jamie will be excited to see you," the Summer spirit pointed down at the window, "He worked really hard on your present."

Another present? Jack didn't quite know what to say; he was unaccustomed to all the attention. "Well then I shouldn't disappoint him," Jack picked his bag up off the roof, hoisting it over his shoulder, "Time to deliver my second to last present!"

He jumped off the roof and hovered outside Jamie's window. The young boy was stirring restlessly, tossing and turning. Jack almost worried that Jamie might have been having a nightmare, then the boy opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Jack grinned, covering his mouth to keep from laughing. Jamie obviously couldn't sleep; he must have been too excited and was hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa. Hopefully the boy wouldn't be too disappointed.

Giving the window a light rap, Jack winked at Jamie and motioned for him to open the window. Jamie was out of bed in a flash, bounding over to window and flinging it open with such enthusiasm that it rattled the glass. "Oops!" Jamie grinned in embarrassment, looking up at the spirit outside his window, "Jack! You're here!" then the boy took in Jack's outfit. With the red cap, white hoodie, Jack Frost looking completely changed. "And you're dressed like Santa!"

"That's because I am Santa," Jack winked, "At least for tonight." Reaching into the black leather bag, Jack withdrew from inside a brightly wrapped blue package with a red bow on top. Jack had no idea what was inside the box, as that was entirely North's realm of expertise and Jack had no idea how to give a Christmas present.

"Sweet!" Jamie grinned about to tear into it.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Jack held up his hands to slow the kid down, "You have to wait and open that with your family."

"But I want to see what you got me!" Jamie whined.

"Well, actually North picked it out," the Winter spirit said, hoping to dissuade the kid from opening the package. Rather than have the desired effect, Jamie looked crestfallen. The boy's entire demeanor changed: his shoulders slumped, his smile faltered, and he set the package on the ground, "Oh… I see."

Jack didn't know what to say. He hadn't even thought about getting something for Jamie. "I'm sorry," Jack said finally, "I didn't think."

"It's okay," Jamie shrugged, inhaling through his nose with a pronounced sniffle.

"Hey," Jack perched on the window sill and looked at Jamie intently, "If you want a present I can give you one right now."

"Really?" the boy looked skeptical.

Jack winked and snapped his fingers. A sparkle of frost jumped from his hand to the window, forming into the image of a fox. The fox then wiggled its head and leaped from the window into Jamie's room, fully formed out of snow and ice; its sapphire blue eyes looked from the boy to the bed, then it hopped up onto the comforter. The snow creature sat there looking at Jamie, slowly moving its bushy tail back and forth in anticipation.

"That… is… so cool!" Jamie exclaimed, running over to pick the fox up and hold it up for inspection, "He looks amazing."

"Yeah, well he'll only last for a little while," Jack looked apologetic, "But it's the best I could do for right now."

"It's the best present I've ever gotten," Jamie grinned. He set the fox down and ran over to Jack, hugging him and giving the spirit a kiss on the cheek.

It was a completely innocent gesture, brought on by and overload of childish excitement, but it still brought a violet flush to Jack's cheeks. Jamie looked so happy, and Jack had been the reason for that. The Winter spirit had given Jamie the best present the boy had ever gotten, which meant that Jack had beaten North, Sandy, and Bunny. Jack Frost was the most important Guardian to at least one child in the world; it was the greatest feeling in the world!

"Do you want your present?" Jamie grinned.

"Sure!"

Jamie ran over to his closet, rummaged around for a second, and returned with something lumpy wrapped in the comics section of the local newspaper. The boy handed the package to Jack, watching nervously as he waited for the Winter Guardian to open it. Jack took the package in hand, feeling it as if it would give some clue as to what it was. Finally the white-haired boy tore into the package and revealed a bracelet.

It was obviously handmade, fashioned out of metal rings connecting straps of brown leather. Jamie had obviously put a great deal of effort into it, and it matched Jack's pants! "You made this for me?" Jack grinned; he couldn't believe that two people had gone so far out of their way to give him such amazing gifts.

"It wasn't that hard," Jamie blushed, "I learned how to do it on YouTube."

Jack slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist and held it up for closer inspection, "So, how does it look?"

"Amazing! But I'm biased," the boy giggled. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Jack marveled at his new accessory.

Jamie seemed pround of himself, his grin showing that he had lost yet another tooth, only this time from natural causes and not a freak sledding accident brought about by a bored Winter spirit. "I think it matches your outfit," Jamie suggested.

"I'd have to agree," the white haired spirit smiled back, then he realized just how late it was. Jamie needed to get back to sleep, and Jack need to get back to the North Pole to make certain everything else had gone alright with the other Guardians' Christmas deliveries. "Well I need to get going…"

"Already?" Jamie gave him a wide eyed plea of disappointment.

"Don't worry," Jack chuckled, "I won't be gone for long, and you have to get to sleep or Santa won't come."

Jamie nodded, rolling his eyes at Jack's lame attempt at a joke. The boy gave Jack a quick hug, thanking him for the present, and then he crawled into bed, petting the snow fox. The frost animal would be gone when the sun came up, which made Jack feel guilty, but hopefully Jamie wouldn't be too disappointed.

* * *

As the boy drifted off to sleep, Jack floated back up to the roof to find Rustle waiting for him; the blue-haired boy was perched on the chimney again. The two spirits looked at each other for a short moment, and then Rustle smiled at him. There it was again, that flush across his cheeks that Jack couldn't control. It was happening around Rustle more than the Winter spirit wanted to admit, and the implications of why such a thing happened were something Jack wasn't quite willing to come to terms with.

"That was a nice thing you did," Rustle's smile was a warm as sunlight.

"I feel like I cheated," Jack frowned. "It's not something he can keep."

"But he can," Rustle hopped off the chimney and fixed Jack with serious eyes. "Jamie is going to remember that gift for the rest of his life. Even when he grows older, if he possibly forgets about us like all adults eventually do, he's going to remember a Christmas where he got the most magical gift any child could dream of." The Summer spirit took a step closer to Jack, "I'm kind of jealous."

"Really?" Jack cocked his head to the side, "You don't look the slightest shade of green."

Rustle shook his head. Jack was really on a roll with the bad jokes tonight; the Winter Guardian must be nervous. That would make two of them. Rustle had a plan for this evening, a plan he had been working on for the past week, ever since Jamie had started explaining the idea of giving a Christmas present to someone.

Jamie had said you give gifts to people you care about: people who you believe are special… important to you. Jack Frost was possibly the most important person in Rustle's life at this point. It was weird, because they hadn't known each other for very long, but Jack had been the first friend Rustle had ever made, the first spirit to give him the time of day. There was even a child now, who believed in Rustle, and that was because Jack had taught Rustle how to make someone believe. The Summer spirit could feel that his life was changing, heading towards something new… and that very thought frightened Rustle.

However, no matter how much his nerves were trying to scare him out of it, the Summer spirit was determined to go through with his plan. He was going to give Jack Frost a Christmas present he wouldn't be able to forget.

"I… I made something for you too," Rustle said softly.

This caught Jack by surprise, "You too?" This was the third time tonight.

"It's not big," Rustle mumbled, "But… yeah."

"Wow!" Jack leaned on his staff and looked up at the Moon, silently wondering what he had done to get such good fortune this year. "First the Guardians and Bunny, then Jamie… now this? I don't really deserve it."

"The Easter Bunny gave you a present?" Rustle had to hide his disappointment. He had wanted to be the first person to give Jack a present, but hadn't felt any competition with Jamie. Now that the other spirits had given Jack a present, Rustle felt that his own gift might not seem as special.

"It was actually very sweet of him," Jack smiled, thinking back to the new decorations his pond had been given, "He created a flower for me."

"Oh… wow…" Rustle's gift really _couldn't_ compare.

"That's what I thought!" Jack laughed, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil going on in Rustle's head. "So, what about your gift? Do we have to go somewhere?"

"No," Rustle mumbled, looking down at his feet, "I have it here." He pulled a small pouch out of a pocket on his Bermuda shorts, debating on whether or not he should even bother with it after the Easter Bunny's amazing present. Well, it was too late to back down now. Jack knew about the gift, so Rustle would just have to hope that its significance would be enough to make up for it's meager appearance.

Opening up the pouch, Rustle pulled out a necklace. It was a simple, leather strand that tied together at the ends, but the true gift was the pendant attached to it: a small glass sphere that contained a single drop of glowing, sapphire clear water. The necklace shimmered in the night air, casting a soft blue light over the two spirits.

"It's beautiful," Jack breathed, reaching out to touch the shimmering, iridescent pendant, but he pulled his hand back, afraid that the fragile thing might break.

"You think so?" Rustle didn't want Jack to say that just to make him feel better.

"What is it?" The Winter Guardian was mesmerized. The shimmering water was hypnotizing, flickering and constantly moving, and somehow it managed to be every shade of blue imaginable at the same time.

"It's…" Rustle had a hard time thinking of a way to explain it. "It's the purest essence of life that can be found on Earth." That was a horrible way of explaining, and it sounded so obscure to Rustle as he said it, but there really was no better explanation-at least not one that wouldn't give away some very important secrets.

"May I?" Jack reached for the pendant. Rustle nodded encouragingly, handing it over. Jack twined the leather strand between his fingers, bringing the delicate jewel forward for closer inspection. He brought up his other hand to gently cradle the glass sphere, holding that shimmering drop of water closer to his face for inspection, but, the moment the glass touched his skin, tendrils of frost leapt from Jack's fingers, freezing the tear into a solid, shining blue, sapphire-like gem. "Oh, no!" Jack lamented, "I've ruined it!"

"No," Rustle smiled gently, rushing forward to keep Jack from freaking out. The Summer spirit took the necklace from Jack, untying the knot, and reaching his arms around Jack's neck to fasten the necklace where it belonged. "I knew this would happen."

"Then… why?" Jack looked despondently at the frozen pendant.

"So that if you ever need too…" Rustle explained, taking a step back to admire Jack with his newest accessory from that night. "You'll be able to find me."

Jack reached a hand up to touch the necklace. Even though his body had frozen the water, the pendant still felt heated against his pale chest. It was as if Rustle had somehow managed to harness the comforting warmth of summer inside this tiny vial. Normally the Winter spirit didn't care for heat of any kind, but this was different. It wasn't an intense heat, not like the sun, or hot sidewalks, or fire; this was a soft, pulsing warmth like a nice blanket or a soft pair of mittens. It felt comfortable.

Jack was so caught up with the rush of emotions over this gift, that it took a moment to register what Rustle had said. "Wait…" Jack looked up suddenly. "Find you? Are you leaving?"

Rustle nodded sadly.

"What? Why?!"

"The Guardians aren't the only spirits with work to do," Rustle grinned, "I can't spend all my time in Burgess. The rest of the world needs a little _Spring_ in their step." The Summer spirit gave Jack a wink, showing the white-haired boy just how to make a proper pun.

"But there's so much going on," Jack protested.

"It's not like this is goodbye," Rustle sighed. It wasn't like he wanted to leave, but he needed to get away. If he spent anymore time around Jack Frost, Rustle felt like he was going to lose his mind. He already constantly thought about the white haired spirit. "But you're going back to the North Pole, and I have to be in Tahiti by sunrise."

"Then how to I find you?" Jack asked, looking down at the necklace.

"It'll get warmer the closer we are to one another," Rustle smirked, "So just follow it, and you'll find me."

"That seems like a recipe for disaster," Jack laughed, trying to hide his sadness at the sudden news that they would be parting ways. "Wouldn't a cell phone be easier?"

"Do you have one?" Rustle raised an eyebrow.

"No…" Jack groaned.

"Trust me, then," the blue-haired boy reassured, looking up at Jack, "You'll know where I am."

"Well if you're leaving," Jack set down his things: his staff and the black bag from North, "Then I have to give you your present too."

"You got me something?" Rustle looked surprised.

"Let's just say I picked it up after listening closely to one of our conversations," Jack grinned, though he could feel that flush creep across his cheeks as he thought about it.

Rustle looked confused, but before the Summer spirit could ask any more questions. Jack had stepped forward and pulled the blue-haired boy close. Rustle felt cool lips press against his own; they were soft, delicate, and they sent a chill through his entire body, followed by a jolt of electricity that shut down all function in his brain. Rustle's hand instinctively gripped Jack's shoulders, holding on for dear life because he was afraid his legs wouldn't support him. When Jack pulled away a few moments later, Rustle was still lost for words.

The winter spirit leaned in and placed a delicate kiss on Rustle's nose, "There… you're the first and _only _person Jack Frost has ever nipped."

"I…" Rustle stammered, a deep red blush covering his face and he hurriedly looked away.

Jack was suddenly afraid that he might have misread, and, if so, he had probably just made Rustle the most embarrassed person in the world. "Did I mess up?" Jack asked awkwardly.

"What?" Rustle looked horrified, "No! No! Of course not!" The blue-haired boy sputtered, "That was the most… I mean I really… gah!" Rustle tried to hide his blushing face, but Jack was too close. The Winter spirit still had his arms draped around the smaller spirit's neck.

"That good?" Jack grinned devilishly.

"Yes…" Rustle muttered, burying his face into Jack's hoodie because it was the only place he could escape.

The pendant around Jack's neck was suddenly incredibly warm, and he looked down to see that it had unfrozen… completely liquid again with Rustle this close to him. "Would you look at that…" Jack mused.

"Told you," Rustle smirked, "You'll be able to find me."

"I suppose I'm going to have to," Jack sighed, "Because even though I don't want to leave, I have to get back to the Workshop."

"I know," Rustle nodded, untangling himself from Jack and taking a step back. He needed some room to breathe, because Jack very effectively had taken his breath away. "I'll stay here to make sure nothing happens before Christmas comes, and if you need me, well... you know how to find me."

As soon as Rustle stepped away, Jack could feel the pendant around his neck freeze once more. It was so odd… the way that summer and winter managed to coexist in the same space, how it felt so exhilarating yet at the same time harmonic. Jack needed time to think about all this, how it would work, IF it would work. He also needed time to talk with Rustle, more time than was present at the moment. There was so much to ask, but Jack just couldn't find the words, so instead he gave a shy smile and said, "Merry Christmas, Rustle."

"Merry Christmas, Jack."

* * *

As the Summer spirit watched Jack Frost take off into the night sky, he couldn't help the lovelorn sigh that escaped his lips. It had been a very interesting night… one that only proved that Rustle's life was indeed headed in bizarre, new directions. Nothing was certain, save for one thing. Jack had given Rustle the most amazing Christmas present any person could have asked for…

He had made Rustle the luckiest person in the world. Rustle O. Thunder was the one who had Jack Frost nippin' at his nose.

Taking a running leap from Jaimie's roof, the Summer spirit decided to go and check out these flowers that the Easter Bunny had created. They intrigued him, and Rustle secretly wanted to check up on his competition. Was it competition? The boy shook his head. No, there was no competition. Jack didn't seem the kind of person to toy around with people's emotions.

The warm winds brought him down on the outskirts of the pond, and Rustle couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. The glowing field of lilies was easily the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "So this is what the Easter Bunny does in his spare time?" the spirit blew out a puff of air; he was quite impressed. "This is why they give him one of the big holidays."

Rustle had never once considered making a new species. He was so busy running from place to place, creating storms and showers, that he rarely gave thought to being creative. Not only that, but the Summer spirit's creative vein happened to be in the more practical genre... as in practical jokes. Rustle was creating a new prank every time he turned around. The chalk eraser balanced on the classroom door? He'd come up with that. Water balloons? Hello, Summer spirit! He'd thought of that the year balloons were invented!

But flowers? That was a form of creativity that took time, patience, and magical abilities that Rustle hadn't bothered to perfect.

"The rabbit must have spent months working on these," Rustle mused. He walked forward, wanting to get a closer look at the magnificent flora, but before he could even get close to them the flowers started to wilt. The lilies closest to him lost their glow and began to droop, their petals drying up.

Horrified, the Summer spirit rushed backwards, tripping over his own feet and landing in the snow; except that the snow was melted. With a growl, Rustle pushed himself up off the ground and looked back towards the field of flowers. They seemed to be alright now, but he couldn't go near them. Rustle didn't know why, but he had an idea. "Clever," he spoke to no one in particular. "A gift that only Jack can truly enjoy."

Disappointed, Rustle stalked off into the trees. He needed to get going, the longer he stayed the the more tempted he would be to stay. He need to get away, go some place tropical and exotic. He was a Summer spirit for crying out loud! All this cold weather and snow was messing with his head. Yep! That's what it was. Once he got good and far away from Burgess, Rustle would be back to his carefree, aloof self.

_Rustle_...

He spun around, hearing his name whisper through the trees. Looking right and left to find the source of the noise, the blue haired spirit could see nothing but darkness. The shadows between the trees were impenetrable, deep... unnatural, and they were closing in on him. "What the...!?" he took a step back, holding his birch twig tightly as the darkness surrounded him. He looked up at the sky, trying to see if he could fly away, but there was nothing there. No moon, no stars... just darkness.

Rustle was in some sort of nightmare! The trees were all gone, the forest had been devoured, and he was left alone, standing in a small circle of light while this immense blackness attempted to engulf everything and anything.

_Russsstle_...

"What?!" the blue haired spirit shouted into the dark. The whisper seemed to come from no where and yet everywhere, worming its way into his ears.

_Did you do what I asked, Rustle...?_

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Panicking, the summer spirit threw a bolt of lightning into the abyss, but it too was swallowed by the dark.

_Is Jack Frost occupied?_

Jack? This thing wanted Jack!? Rustle felt anger rush to his face, burning a deep red flush across his cheeks. "Leave him alone!"

_I can't do that... he is important to everything. Did you give him the Tear?_

"Wait... what?" Rustle had given Jack the tear, but for the life of him he couldn't remember what had possessed him to do so.

_I'll take that as a good sign... _the voice had a mocking tone to it, as if it found Rustle amusing.

"Don't you dare hurt Jack!"

_Don't worry, Rustle... you won't remember a thing. Just like always..._

Rustle didn't know what was going on, the voice was beating like a drum inside his head. As the darkness closed in around him, the blue haired spirit tried to fight, he tried to struggle, but the blackness was everywhere and soon his world went dark.

* * *

**A/N -**

**Oooh, I have a feeling I'm going to get some interesting reactions to this chapter. Yep! I can just feel it in my bones.**

**I don't have much to say today. It is Christmas after all! This is my gift! It's long, and it is exciting (or I think it is), it has cliffhangers and romance and plot development! I think Rustle's character is developing long at a good pace, as is my devilish love Triangle! Bwahaha! **

**This is also the second time we've gotten an appearance by our villain, even though it still remains nameless, faceless, and unknown! I like a bit of mystery! Can you blame a writer for wanting to keep their readers on their toes?**

**Read! Review! That's what I want for Christmas! I'll see you all after my vacation is over!**

**Merry Christmas!**


	16. Losing My Mind

**Updates may be reduced this week. I have a visitor flying in with me on Wednesday, and I haven't seen them in FOREVER. They will most likely dominate my free time, so, apologies. Still, have a chapter on me!**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"We are getting no where!" Jack lamented.

The boy was perched atop the large shimmering globe in North's Workshop, looking down at the other Guardians in irritation. For the past few hours they had been talking in circles. One person would mention something that was confusing, concerning, or inconsistent about the recent attack by the Nightmares and Shamblers, then another one of the Guardians would follow that up with some sort of speculation, to which someone would then give a reason for why that couldn't possibly be the case… the truth of the matter was, and this is what had Jack Frost irritated above all else: they didn't know anything.

"Frostbite has a point," Bunny sighed, leaning back against a column. "We're no closer to solving this mystery than we were when this conversation started."

"But we have to do something," Toothiana insisted. She was hovering nervously, unable to stay in one place for very long. "Doesn't anyone have an idea?"

Sandman shrugged. He'd run out of ideas an hour ago; at this point he was merely there to offer insight. The golden man had already explained to the other Guardians, with Jack's help, that the Shamblers were not creatures made from dreams. This meant that they were created from something else entirely, and Sandy's suspicions were that these creatures were crafted out of something much darker than bad dreams. The Shamblers were like a personification of fear, or anger, or hatred. It would take some serious magical power to create something like that.

"Tooth," Bunny tried to control his voice so that it came out neutral. Everyone in the room was a little on-edge, and the last thing they needed to do was start insulting one another, "If we had any ideas, you would be the first one to know."

"Right," she grinned sheepishly.

"We need more information," North spoke suddenly.

The old man had been unusually quiet for the past few minutes, staring out the window at the frozen landscape of the North Pole. He'd been content to let the other Guardians talk among themselves, but, once the conversation had degenerated to a point that nothing constructive was coming out of it, the Guardian of Wonder felt it was time he stepped back in and moderated.

"I don't know if you've looked around here lately, Mate," Bunny gestured at the Workshop still under repair, "but we're a little bit short on information."

"Without the library," Tooth frowned, "We're relying own our own knowledge and memories."

"Isn't that your area of expertise?" Jack raised an eyebrow at the jittery hummingbird.

"Childhood memories, Jack," the Tooth Fairy corrected him. "The teeth don't contain anything past the childhood days from when the last one fell out."

"And no one else here has a library?" Jack looked at the other Guardians incredulously.

Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy all exchanged looks before shaking their heads. North had always been the one to compile and collect volumes and tomes. Anything the other Guardians found to be of interest, they normally left in the capable hands of Nicholas St. North. After all, until a week ago, the Workshop had been considered the most secure bastion out of all the Guardians homes.

Jack let out an exasperated sigh and threw his hands up into the air, "Great! See, this is why people say don't keep all of your eggs in one basket!"

"He's right, you know?" Bunny grinned. "I came up with that! It helps kids keep their Easter eggs safe from greedy siblings."

"Not my point," Jack face-palmed, groaning as his iritation level rose.

"While Jack Frost has valid point," North crossed his arms and stepped away from the window, "It does not help us at the moment." The old man ran a hand through his beard thoughtfully. "What we need is more information… more information…" His eyes lit up, going wide with excitement, "Ha! More information!"

"Gonna share with the rest of the class, Mate?"

"Bunny," North turned toward the Easter spirit with a sly smile, "You said that Groundhog came on behalf of Mother Earth, no?"

"Yeah," the rabbit looked at North suspiciously. "What of it?"

"Who else in the spirit realm has a better library of knowledge than I do?" There was a twinkle of mirth in North's eyes as he posed the question to his fellow Guardians.

"Um…" Bunny shrugged, looking towards Toothiana.

"Don't look at me," she blushed, "I can't have a library at the Tooth Palace. All that moisture is bad for books."

Sandman started hopping up and down excitedly, a golden image floating over his head. It was round, and it spun just like the globe that Jack was currently perched on.

"Mother Earth?" Jack suggested.

"Yes!" North laughed, "She has been collecting knowledge for all millennia! Is the greatest library since Alexandria! In fact, I think she may have most of that collection now as well."

"Yeah, Mate, but it's not like Mother Earth just takes visitors. The last time I heard of anyone just dropping in uninvited…" Bunny shuddered. Mother Earth was a temperamental matron who placed privacy on the top ten list of things that should be protected above anything else, in fact privacy was just under the Ozone Layer as far as priority status went.

"You are forgetting one thing, Bunny," North smiled, "What event is coming up in three days?"

"Blimey," the Easter spirit looked horrified, "You're not suggesting."

"Can you think of better way to get the information we need?"

"No, but North! This is the spirit world equivalent of a Royal Wedding! You don't just go into something like that with a personal agenda!"

"Bunny's right," Toothiana was starting to look a little pale. "We could get into some serious trouble."

Sandy created a giant, golden caution sign, waving his hands over his head to suggest that this conversation was heading into dangerous territory.

"What trouble?" North chuckled, "We will be invited! Will be harmless conversation piece."

"And what if someone there happens to be behind the attack on the Workshop?" Bunny pressed. This idea of North's was reckless. "Worse even! What if you piss off the hosts?"

"There will be plenty of other spirits there," North shrugged off their complaints, "If anything you can create distraction, or I could always ask nicely."

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on!?" Jack shouted, jumping off the globe and landing in the middle of the four other Guardians. Tooth hovered backwards, startled from Jack's sudden outburst, and Sandman was so shocked that his golden caution sign combusted and showered Bunnymund in the face with dream sand. The rabbit smiled stupidly, like a patient in the dentist's office who had just been dosed with anesthesia, and the he fell to the floor, snoring lightly as visions of Easter eggs dancing the Can-Can appeared over his head.

North scratched the back of his head, "Is easy to forget that you have not been Guardian for very long, Jack Frost. We often assume that you know what we are talking about."

It wasn't necessarily an apology, but Jack didn't think he was going to be getting anything better. Besides, he had gotten used to the fact that he would be playing catch-up when it came to knowledge of how the spirit world around him operated. "Look, I don't care about that," Jack sighed, "just tell me what is going on." The Winter spirit looked down at the sleeping rabbit and couldn't help be feel a little sorry for Bunnymund. The Easter would never get to live down the embarrassment from this dream; Jack wasn't going to let him. "Would someone wake up, Cottontail? It really isn't fair for him to be giving me this kind of ammo."

While Tooth and Sandy lifted up the sleeping Easter Bunny, carrying him over to a nearby bench, North walked over to the globe console and pulled a lever, opening the newly repaired skylight in the roof.

"New Year's eve, Jack Frost," North said quietly, looking up at the moon. "How much do you know about it?"

"Big parties? Held in the middle of winter," the white-haired boy said off-handedly. "It's fun to create ice for drunk people to slip on?"

"I'm certain it is," North chuckled, "But do you know what the significance this holiday holds for our world, for all spirits?"

"No…" Jack frowned. "I would assume it's important?" It was the best guess he could make. New Year's signified the start of another year; many people believed it was a fresh start, a time to start over and make up for past mistakes. While Jack's only experience with he holiday were hordes of drunk humans stumbling around and kissing one another, he had to assume that for the spirit world there was a much deeper meaning.

"It is very important," North nodded. "New Year's signifies rebirth, second chances… it is when the world starts over again. It is also anniversary of sorts."

"Anniversary?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes!" North gave the boy a tooth-filled grin, "for Mother Earth and Father Time. It is the one night of the year where all of the most important spirits will be gathered in one place, with one purpose: celebrating the beginning of a new year."

"Okay…" Jack waited for something more to come after North's revelation. When no further explanation was forthcoming, he laughed, "How is that any different from what the humans do?"

"Perhaps I am not explaining properly," the old man groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose between a thumb and forefinger. "It is the one night when all of time stands still, when everything starts back at the beginning!" The look on Jack's face told the Guardian of Wonder that he still hadn't made his point.

"How do I put this," North looked up at the moon for a little guidance. "You know that the Primearchs are responsible for creating each and every spirit in our world, yes?"

Jack nodded, still waiting for all of this to make sense.

"Did you know that New Year's eve is the only time when a new spirit can be created?" North raised his eyebrows expectantly, waiting for the reaction he knew would be coming.

"Wait," Jack held up his hands, trying to wrap his head around what North was telling him. "You mean that they create spirits every year, that… that I was created during one of these gatherings?"

"Well, not every year," North mused. "It takes special circumstances to create a new spirit. But… yes. I was there when you were created, Jack Frost." North motioned to the other Guardians, "We all were."

"He's right, Jack," Tooth smiled, "I remember it very well. The Man in the Moon was so proud of you; he said you were the most selfless boy he'd ever seen."

Sandman didn't add anything, but, from the way he was smiling, Jack could feel happiness and admiration coming from the Dreamkeeper. "You all knew?" he breathed in disbelief, "And you didn't tell me?"

"Oy," Bunny grumbled, finally coming out of his trip to dream land. "What is there to tell, Snowflake? A whole bunch of big wigs had a discussion, and Manny made you into a spirit. We only got to watch your transformation."

"I see," Jack looked down at the ground. For a second he felt like they had been keeping secret from him again, like they had known who he was all this time. It shouldn't have bothered him; after all, Jack had already recovered his memories thanks to Baby Tooth and his teeth. Still, there was always a creeping notion, a dark thought in the back of his mind, which told Jack that the other Guardians were keeping things from him.

"Don't you start," the Easter spirit's tone was sharp. "I know that look. You're going paranoid on me."

"Yeah," Jack shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "You're right. It's just… bad habits die hard you know?"

Still, those thoughts were there, gnawing at the back of his mind. Jack had to fight to force them out. There were more important things to think about. North had said the Primearchs were going to be at this New Year's eve, anniversary... thing. That meant he would finally get to meet the Man in the Moon; Jack would finally get to speak with him! Manny wouldn't be able to ignore him at a gathering like that, would he?

"It is alright, Jack Frost," North gave the boy a one armed hug. "We are always here for you. If you have questions: ask them!"

"Then here's one," Jack smirked, "Why is it a bad idea to ask Mother Earth for help? If all of the spirits are going to be there, wouldn't that be the perfect time to get more information?"

"See!" North boomed, hoisting a fist into the air, "Jack understands what I am saying."

"Um… sure?" the white-haired boy looked around uncomfortably. That wasn't what he was trying to communicate at all. He wanted to know why Bunny and Tooth were so nervous when Mother Earth was mentioned. Wasn't she supposed to be... nice?

"No," Bunny waved his paws in front of him, canceling North's claim of triumph. "He doesn't! Frostbite hasn't even met the Primearchs, so he wouldn't even realize just how many rules you're wanting to break."

"Hence my question," Jack muttered.

"You don't just go up to Mother Earth and Father Time," Bunny explained. "They'll be there, of course, but they don't mingle. They walk in, they say hello, and then the Primearchs go off to their own separate room where they discuss how to direct the course of history for the next year."

"There is always dinner," North said simply.

"Oh, sure!" Bunny's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Let's just grill Mother Earth for information during her anniversary dinner. I don't see thunderbolts striking us down at all."

"North does have a point, Bunny," Tooth spoke up. She raised a hand shyly, taking command of the floor. "Isn't that the point of the dinner? The Primearchs speak with all of us; they try to get a feel for how the world looks from different perspectives. If Mother Earth sent the Groundhog to check on things at the North Pole; then she must know something's wrong."

"Precisely," North grinned, "and while we are at the Hearth, we will have freedom to use the library."

"The Hearth?" Jack's head was beginning to hurt from all the new information being forced into it.

"The heart of the earth, Jack," Tooth smiled. "It's where Mother Earth lives."

"Alright, fine!" Bunny threw his hands up in defeat. "You've got me there. New Year's would be a great time to interrogate a group of spirits who could disintegrate us with a snap of their fingers."

E. Aster Bunnymund didn't know why he thought this was a bad idea; in fact, the more North explained about it, this sounded like a great idea. Where would they ever have the chance of finding so many spirits in one place? There would be a greater collection of knowledge and experience at that party than they could find anywhere else on planet earth.

So why did ever molecule of Aster's body seem to be screaming that this was a bad idea? "_Because_," his mind explained to him simply, "_you know that whoever is behind this is most likely going to be at that party_."

That was the truth, plain and simple. The only logical explanation for the attack on North's Workshop was that another spirit had been behind it. Since the Boogeyman was out of the picture; that left any number of possibilities. Spirits lived long lives, and a century or two was like a drop in the bucket. There could be a spirit out there holding a grudge against the Guardians; Bunny could name a few who had a grudge against him, personally. Was it so hard to imagine that someone had been biding their time? After Pitch's rampage last year proved that the Guardians were not invincible, had another spirit gotten bold enough to act on their darker instincts?

"You worry too much, Bunny," North chuckled. "You will see. Come New Year's eve, we will have answers."

"I hope you're right, North," Aster frowned. "I really hope you're right."

* * *

The sun peaked its head over the horizon, its glistening rays driving away the last hold-out shadows of the night. Jamie had been up well before the crack of dawn, and he was eager to get outside and play. It was the weekend after all! His parents didn't have to work, so they could watch Sophie and make certain she was taken care of, which meant Jamie was free to do whatever he wanted!

The moment the sun was out, and after he had eaten breakfast, Jamie was out the door, grabbing up his sled, and he bolted toward the park.

He was dressed in winter clothes, because for some reason Rustle had vanished. The summer spirit hadn't even said good-bye. Jamie was kind of hurt by the abrupt departure, but Jack had explained on his last visit that Rustle had work to do as a weather spirit. Jaime tried not to take it personally, but, after spending all that time with the blue-haired summer spirit, he felt like he at least deserved some sort of farewell.

Jamie could feel the cold air burning at his lungs as he ran down the pavement. Each time he inhaled it was exhilarating, reminding the boy just why he loved winter so much. Yes, it had been enjoyable to run around in shorts while it was the middle of December, but what Jamie really liked about winter was the cold weather. It was like the world around him was striving to making Jamie realize that he was truly alive. Every cool breeze whipped across his face, causing his cheeks to flush red as his body fought to maintain heat.

He reached the top of the hill, looking down at the park. Everything was covered in a blanket of white, a thick layer of fresh snow. Jamie suspected it was a gift from Jack, but he couldn't always be certain. It didn't matter where the snow came from though, Jamie was going to enjoy it!

Taking a running start, the boy launched his sled down the hill. His heart pounded within his chest, racing with the exhilaration and speed of gliding across the winter wonderland. The ride was quickly over, but that didn't mean a thing. Jamie picked up his sled and ran back up to the top of the hill, ready to repeat the adventure, when suddenly his foot caught on something and he tripped.

Jamie stumbled and fell, plowing face first into the snow; his sled went flying out of his hands and landed a few feet away from him, sticking up vertically from the drift where it struck. "Ow…" Jamie moaned, pushing himself up from the ground and rubbing his forehead.

He looked around to see a large oak tree off to his left, and Jamie realized he must have tripped over one of the roots. Grumbling about the tree being out to get him, the boy went to retrieve his sled. Picking up the wooden snow transport, Jamie turned to make his way back up the hill when something caught his eye.

It was just a glimpse of blue, barely sticking out of the snow, right by the trunk of the tree. If Jamie hadn't tripped there, he might never have seen it. Something about the color looked oddly familiar, and finally the boy's curiosity got the better of him. Setting down his sled, Jamie rushed over to the tree, intent upon investigating the odd blue tuft.

Jamie inched closer, not wanting to trip on anymore roots. His boot came down on something solid, but at the same time not so solid, kind of squishy. Jamie jumped back, flailing his arms and he almost lost his balance. "What the heck?"

The boy's excitement had disturbed the snow around the tree's base, and Jamie looked down at what he'd stepped on: it was a foot. A bare foot, connected to a leg… a tan leg.

Frantically, Jamie began throwing snow this way and that way, trying to uncover the person buried beneath the tree, though he already had a horrifying expectation of who it might be. That tuft of blue sticking out of the snow? Jamie was absolutely certain now that it was hair, blue hair. Only one person he knew had that color hair. As he brushed snow away from the body, Jamie revealed exactly what he didn't want to find.

It was Rustle.

The summer spirit was paler than usual, his eyes closed and his arms hanging loosely at his sides. Jamie couldn't tell if he was alive. Rustle didn't appear to be breathing; there was no rise and fall of his chest or the tale tell fog of heated breath when it met cold air. Pulling off one of his mittens, Jamie reached out a hand to touch the summer spirit. Rustle skin was cold.

"What do I do?" Jamie bit his bottom lip. He didn't have any way of contacting Jack or the other Guardians. His mom had taught him CPR. She'd been a nurse at the local hospital for years, and, being quite over protective about some things, she wouldn't let Jamie go swimming with his friends until everyone knew the basics. "_You never know when you may need to save a life_," his mom had always said.

"You never know…" Jamie muttered, trying to muster up courage as he knelt there in the snow. Did spirits need to breathe? Did they have oxygen issues? What if Rustle was just sleeping? Jamie could feel himself panicking, so he slapped himself across the face. "Get ahold of yourself!" he growled, forcing himself to pay attention.

First things first, Jamie pulled Rustle away from the tree. He got the summer spirit flat on his back, and then he checked Rustle for a pulse.

Nothing…

"Great," Jamie groaned. What if Rustle was dead? What would Jack say? No! There wasn't time to think about that. Checking to make certain that the Summer spirit's airway was open, He knelt over the blue-haired boy, placing both hands over Rustle's diaphragm. Jamie pushed on Rustle's chest three times, then he froze. He had to breathe into the other boy's mouth.

What was so hard? Jamie berated himself for stalling. This wasn't the time to be thinking about things like that. It's not like he was kissing Rustle. No. Jamie was trying to save his life. Something like that shouldn't even be a thought at this moment, but no matter how Jamie tried to argue with himself… the thoughts were there. He would literally be kissing the Summer spirit.

"Come on, Jamie!" he half whined, half growled at himself in anger. "You can do this!"

He pumped on Rustle's chest three more times, and then before his courage could falter again, Jamie held the summer spirit's mouth opened, placed his own over it and breathed out.

Several things happened at once. The first thing Jamie realized was that even though Rustle's body was cold to the touch, for some reason his lips were very warm… and soft. It was odd, and he couldn't quite understand it. Jamie wasn't given much time to ponder this conundrum, because the moment his lips touched Rustle's there was a sound like the "pop" of static electricity and all the snow around the two of them evaporated, creating a cloud of steam and fog.

Rustle's eyes snapped open, and the blue-haired boy shot up off the ground and into a sitting position. Jamie jumped up, completely startled, and the two of their heads collided with a an echoing "THUNK"!

"Owww!" Rustle cried, bringing both hands up to cradle his injured noggin.

Jamie rubbed his forehead, gritting his teeth against the pain, but he was much more excited to see that the Summer spirit was not only alive but awake! "Rustle!? You're alright!"

The blue-haired boy regarded him with a confused look, "Why wouldn't I be alright, and why is your head so freaking hard?!"

"You…" Jamie flushed out of embarrassment, "You were unconscious. I found you buried in the snow."

"Huh?" Rustle looked around. He didn't remember being in the park. The last thing he remembered was being on the roof of Jamie's house. That was strange… why did he have the distinct sense as if he were missing something really important. "I can't be covered in snow," Rustle muttered, furrowing his brow as he tried to concentrate.

"Well, you were," Jamie breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared the hell out of me."

"I…" Rustle tried to remember but he couldn't, "I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad you're alright," the boy chuckled nervously. "What did you do, decide to take a nap or something?"

"Spirits don't sleep," Rustle's matter-of-fact tone was lacking the normal, carefree attitude that the Summer spirit normally had.

"Then what were you doing out here?" Jamie looked at the blue-haired spirit in confusion, "Jack said you were going to Tahiti."

"I was…" Rustle scrunched his eyes together. He had the worst headache right now. "I was going to leave this morning, once Jack got back from doing his Christmas rounds. I didn't want to leave until I could give him his present."

"Um, Rustle…"

The Summer spirit opened his eyes to see a clearly worried Jamie. "What?" he asked, unnerved with the way the boy was looking at him.

"I don't really know what's going on," Jamie bit his bottom lip, wondering how Rustle would react to what he was about to say. "Christmas was four days ago."

* * *

**A/N -**

**And, we start on our New Year's story arc. Hopefully everyone is excited. I know I am, and I am particularly looking forward to introducing the Primearchs. **

**Some people may be wondering, "Say what now?" Well, I've done some editing on the first four chapters (and I'm going to be editing the rest of them as more story stuff comes out), and I decided to give Mother Earth, Father Time, Man in Moon, and Nyght a more fitting title. Seeing as how the Guardians were called the "Big Four" in the film, I decided that the spirits, who were more powerful than they were, needed a better sounding title. Thus: Primearchs (I may change it again, we'll see). So, yes, I'm very excited to finally be able to introduce Mother Earth, Father Time, and Man in Moon. I'm also very interested in getting to reveal my other major OC for this story: Nyght. I know that people have ideas that they have already crafted about my story, but I promise you this: things are gonna be interesting.**

**See you next time, please drop me a review! My love to all my readers!**


	17. You're Invited

**Ok! Apologies first! I'm sorry for my absence, but I had a visitor fly back with me from New York. He stayed a week with me, and well... lets just say that Romance and Frivolity come first before writing about Romance and Frivolity! Kay? Kay! Now that that is cleared up, can you forgive me? Cause... I have new chapter! Enjoy!**

**This story is brought to you and supported by your reviews! The feedback for this story has been phenomenal and I'm overjoyed that so many of you love my take on this universe!**

**Warnings: Cuddly little hints of SnowBunnies**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"_SQUAWK_!"

Jack jumped three feet in the air as the loud cry startled him. The Winter spirit whirled around to see a penguin looking up at him curiously. The black and white avian had an inquisitive look in its eyes and cocked its head, waiting for Jack to say something.

"What in the world…?" Jack peered down at the creature.

"_Wah_!" the penguin opened its beak and cried out. When Jack failed to come up with anything worthwhile to say, the bird suddenly lashed out and pecked the white-haired boy on his exposed ankle.

"Hey!" Jack glared down at the bird. "What!? What do you want?"

"_SQUAWK_!" the bird waved its flippers wildly and lashed out, trying to peck Jack again.

This time the Winter spirit was prepared and he jumped backwards, evading the attack; however, this seemed to only cause the penguin to get more riled up because it started chasing after Jack. The creature continued to squawk loudly, its battle cry echoing through the Workshop. Apparently it wasn't keen to let Jack Frost out of its sight, and no matter how hard the boy tried to escape the bird was always there, pecking at his ankles.

Jack launched himself into the air, flying up into the rafters and out of the penguin's reach. "Ha ha!" he laughed, pleased at his ability to escape the flightless bird. Jack looked down at the floor to see just how annoyed the penguin would be to lose, but, rather than see a frustrated arctic fowl, all Jack saw was an empty place where the penguin had been standing moments ago.

"_SQUAWK_!"

The battle cry exploded from behind him, and Jack whirled around to see the penguin standing there next to him on the rafter. "How in the heck!?" Jack stumbled backwards in surprise, falling off the wooden beam and plummeting towards the floor. "Whoa, god!" he cried out, bracing for impact with the floor. He penguin had him so started that Jack momentarily forgot that he could have controlled the wind to halt his fall, but now it was too late. He was going to hit the wooden floor, a prospect that looked none too soft in the slightest. Jack closed his eyes and prayed that it wouldn't hurt too much.

Then suddenly he wasn't falling.

Something had stopped his decent, and it hadn't been the floor. No… whatever it had been was soft and warm. Daring to peak open his eyes, Jack came face to face with Bunnymund. The Easter spirit had somehow managed to catch him, and the rabbit was now looking at Jack with a look of amusement.

"You okay there, Frostbite?" Bunnymund chuckled. "It's not like you to be falling out of the sky."

Jack flustered and scrambled out of Bunny's arms, looking down at the floor as a flush of embarrassment crept onto his face. "It wasn't like I did it on purpose!" he protested, "I was being chased by…"

"_SQUAWK_!" The penguin announced its presence, appearing in between Bunnymund and Jack. The bird waved its flippers at the two spirits, looking expectantly at Jack.

The Winter spirit still had no idea what he was expected to do. "That!" He motioned to the penguin. "I'm being harassed by Squawk, the ninja penguin!"

Bunnymund covered his face with a paw to stifle the laughter that threatened to erupt. The Easter spirit could tell that it wasn't working, because Jack was glaring at him. The white-haired boy was obviously perturbed, and that only caused Bunny's sides to shake harder with the concealed laughter. Finally the struggle was too much and the grey furred Guardian grasped his sides and let out a stream of deep, resounding laughter.

"This isn't funny!" Jack protested.

"Oh… ha ha ha ha! Oh! But it is!" Bunny was on the ground now, clutching his sides and rolling.

"Stop it!" Jack growled, gripping his staff tightly. He wasn't certain who he wanted to smack upside the head more: the annoying penguin or the irritating rabbit. He'd almost decided to try both with one swing when North showed up.

"Jack Frost!" the bearded man greeted, "I see that you've gotten your invitation!"

"My what?" Jack raised an eyebrow in confusion.

North pointed to the penguin, which in turn let out its high-pitched war cry. "Invitation to New Year's celebration for Mother Earth and Father Time," the Guardian of Wonder smiled, "I am just receiving mine as well!" As if on cue, North turned and motioned to the largest polar bear Jack had ever seen. The massive animal was walking through the doors of North's office and came to a stop right beside the penguin, plopping down into a seated position with a loud "Thump!".

"What is going on?!" Jack cried out, throwing his hands into the air. "How is a polar bear or a penguin considered an invitation?"

"Is simple," North chuckled. "Accepting invitation for Jack Frost." He said this last line directly to the penguin.

The black and white bird saluted and then turned to face Jack, opening its beak. Jack instantly brought his hands up to cover his ears, expecting to hear another loud squawk, but this time an entirely different and foreign sound came out of the bird's open beak.

"_Greetings, Jack Frost_," a female voice spoke. It wasn't anyone Jack could recognize, but he was looking down at the penguin with utter confusion. That voice should not have been coming from that demonic little bird in a tuxedo… not at all.

The message continued, "_You are cordially invited to attend an evening of celebration in honor of the coming year. It would be my great pleasure to finally meet you, as I have been watching your progress these past few centuries with great interest. If you are capable of attending, please RPVP with Rosco. I look forward to finally meeting you, my dear boy!_"

There was a moment of silence, and then the penguin closed its beak and looked back at Jack expectantly. When the Winter spirit continued to look stupefied, the penguin growled, literally growled, and snapped its beak warningly at Jack's ankles.

"No you don't!" Jack hopped backwards, bumping into Bunnymund's chest just as the rabbit was getting up off the floor.

"Easy on, Snowflake," Bunny chuckled.

"That bird is out to get me!" Jack pointed at the penguin accusingly.

"He just wants to know if you're going to RSVP," the Easter spirit smirked, "Isn't that right?"

The penguin looked at Bunny for a moment, then it let out its squawking war cry and proceeded to peck the rabbit right on a foot paw.

"Sweet _mother _of the Outback!" Bunny grabbed his foot and began hopping up and down on the other, trying to get away from the demonic penguin. "Crikey! That hurt!"

Jack crossed his arms, giving off a smirk that obviously said: _See? I told you so! _He couldn't keep up the smug expression because now Rosco the Killer Penguin was glaring at him again. "Okay! Okay! I RSVP or whatever it is you want me to do!" Jack held up his staff to ward off another attack.

Rosco squawked quietly and slapped his flippers together as if dusting them off. He shot one final glare at Jack, warning the Winter spirit. The warning was clear: if you don't show up to this party, then I'm going to hunt you down. The penguin then waddled off and sat next to the polar bear, completely ignoring everyone in the room.

Jack swallowed heavily. He wasn't certain how it happened, but now he had a penguin for an arch nemesis. In any sane world that wouldn't seem like such a horrible prospect, but Jack took one look at Rosco, Master of the Evil Glare, and the Winter spirit prayed to the heavens that he would never have to see the penguin again.

"So…" Jack breathed out, "Why did I just get a demonic, screaming penguin-gram?"

"Is sort of little joke," North held up his thumb and forefinger to indicate a small margin. "Mother Earth has strange sense of humor."

"So, I get a penguin?"

"She doesn't know you," North shrugged, "She probably made best guess. Next year will be more personal."

"And the polar bear?" Jack motioned to the hulking animal that was now licking itself in a very inappropriate place. Were all of these animal messengers demented in some fashion?

"Oh! Is good story actually," North grinned, rolling up his sleeves and preparing to go into one of his extravagant stories. "One time, Father Time and I were ice fishing in Greenland, when all of a sudden…"

"I'm sure that's going to be a doozey, mate," Bunny interrupted, looking deadpan at North, "but I just haven't got the patience to hear the '_Father Time caught a polar bear on his fishing pole_' story… again."

"Again?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Every year he gets a polar bear," Bunny sighed. "Every year he tells the story. It was funny the first time… five hundred years ago."

"But I've never heard the story," Jack muttered.

"Let me save you an hour," Bunny smirked. He walked up between North and the polar bear. "Picture it! North Pole and the Renaissance Era! Father Time and North sitting on an iceberg! Presto! Polar bear on a fishing pole… Father Time lets go, bear bites North here on the rump!" Bunnymund slapped the Guardian of Wonder playfully on his backside and then hopped away before North could get retribution, "Then the bear swallows his hat. End of story."

North narrowed his eyes at the rabbit, "Is more entertaining when I tell it."

"I grow a beard when you tell it," Bunny sighed, "And biologically speaking I shouldn't be able to grow a beard."

"Oh! Did I miss the polar bear story," Toothiana fluttered in through a window, "Darn…" While she put on a good front, Jack could tell that the fairy wasn't sad in the slightest.

"Ah! Tooth," Bunny grinned, "I just saved Jack from losing his youth."

"My stories are not that long!" North protested.

Bunny and Tooth both gave the older man wide-eyed stares of uttered, flat disbelief.

Wilting a bit under the intensity of their gazes, North blushed. "Alright, well… maybe they are a little bit long winded."

"Long winded?" Bunnymund scoffed. "Mate, I've seen hurricanes with less wind."

"No offense, North," Tooth giggled, "but most of the time my fairies can finish a continent in the time it takes you to finish that story."

"Hrumph!" North crossed his arms.

"It's okay," Toothiana patted his shoulder comfortingly, "I still like the one where you think you saw a vampire when delivering presents in Transylvania."

"Wait," Jack smiled, "Really!?"

"Actually," North lit up, rolling up his sleeves once more. "Don't let them fool you! Vampires do exist! And I did see one! I remember it like it were yesterday! I had only been delivering Christmas for a few decades, and Transylvania was a new country…"

"Oh, dear!" Tooth moaned.

"What?" North looked at her worriedly.

"You're going to spoil Halloween," She feigned tears. "You always tell that story on Halloween."

"Hmmm, perhaps you are correct," North mused. The old man scratched his beard and shrugged. Finally he slammed a fist into his open palm, coming to a decision. "Well, I will save it for then!"

Jack frowned, glaring at Bunny and Toothiana. They had just killed his chances of hearing, what had sounded like, two very interesting stories. North always had a flare for the dramatic, and Jack liked his stories, despite how the other Guardians reacted to them.

"Don't worry, Jack," Tooth smiled reassuringly. It was like she could read his mind. "You'll have plenty of chances to hear them."

"And hear them… and hear them," Bunny motioned a paw in a slow circular motion, "…and hear them…"

"Okay," Jack sighed, ignoring Bunny and focusing on Toothiana as she fluttered in front of him. "So what are you doing back at the Pole? Didn't you have to get back to the Tooth Palace?"

"I did," she nodded, preening a few feathers on her right hip. "Once I got my fairies situated I decided to come back and see if there was anything else that needed to be done to help out."

"Did you get an… invitation?" Jack motioned to the polar bear which now had Rosco the penguin seated on its head.

"Oh, yes!" Tooth smiled happily. "I normally stay here at the North Pole once I do. The Workshop is one of the few places where you can get transportation to the Hearth."

"Cool, um…" Jack looked around for Tooth's animal, "Where is it?"

"Oh! Yes, silly me! You can't get into the party without your invitation!" Toothiana turned around, stuck two fingers in her mouth, and whistled. The sound echoed through the work room and it was quickly answered by a melodic bird call. Moments later a gorgeous peacock fluttered through a nearby window, coming to perch on a rafter above their heads.

"A peacock?" Jack raised both of his eyebrows. "I always saw you as more of a hummingbird."

"Sometimes I get one of those too!" Tooth giggled. "I've always thought of myself as a hybrid… like… a hummingcock." The Tooth Fairy didn't see anything wrong with her suddenly improvised bird name.

In fact, she said it with such a straight face that Jack couldn't help but bursting out laughing, and he was quickly joined by both North and Bunnymund. The three of them were leaning on tables, balcony rails, and rolling on the floor, unable to contain their amusement at the Tooth Fairy's expense.

"Oh!" Tooth flustered, turning red and puffing out her feathers indignantly. "You know that wasn't what I meant to say… and it's not like pea-ing bird is any better!"

The three laughing Guardians started to roar with renewed fits of giggles. North pounded his fist on a table; Jack leaned on his staff for support, laughing so hard that frozen tears were forming in the corners of his eyes; and Bunnymund was clutching his sides, rolling back and forth as he literally cried from laughter.

"No offense, Tooth," Jack said between ragged breaths, "But you may want to rethink how you combine those names."

"It's not my fault," she muttered, still blushing a crimson hue. "They just don't combine together…"

"Which is why you are called a fairy," Bunny chuckled, pulling himself off the floor. He climbed up using the balcony rail, using one of the posts to pull himself up hand-over-hand until he was leaning upon the rail for support.

"So," Jack wiped the snowflake tears from his eyes, still fighting off small bouts of chuckles. "What was your invitation?"

"Me?" Bunny looked shocked for a moment, then he turned to look for the nearest exit. "Um, you wouldn't be interested."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Jack grinned mischievously.

"Nothing to see really! I haven't even gotten it yet!" Bunny nodded, inching his way towards the door. "Normally she sends a wombat. Silly little Australian bugger."

"Oh, really?" Jack smirked.

"Really!" Bunny nodded in earnest.

"Then what's that?" Jack pointed to something behind the Easter spirit.

Turning around slowly, E. Aster Bunnymund came face-to-face with a seven foot tall, bona fide kangaroo. The marsupial looked down at the Easter Bunny and then hopped forward to stand peacefully next to the polar bear.

Jack was grinning like a Cheshire cat, turning his most innocent gaze towards Bunny. "So… Mother Earth sent you a Kangaroo?"

"Now just you wait a minute, Frostbite! Don't start jumping to any conclusions!" Aster held up his hands, as if that could somehow stop Jack's mind from going where it was going to go.

"What conclusions?" the white-haired boy asked innocently. "I mean, apparently…" Jack gestured to the Kangaroo. "It speaks for itself doesn't it?"

There was a moment of utter, astonished silence.

Bunny looked from Jack Frost, to North, to Toothiana, and they all looked back at him with wild grins and suppressed laughter… then the room exploded with fresh fits of laughter, all of them directed this time at the Easter spirit. In an effort to block out his newest shame, Aster placed a paw over each ear and pulled them down flat over his head, hoping to drown out some of the laughter.

He was never going to live this down. Jack wouldn't let him… he was going to be the Easter Kangaroo for all eternity!

* * *

New Year's even had finally arrived, and Jack Frost found himself more excited than ever.

He was going to be visiting the Hearth: the heart of the world, where Mother Earth and Father Time resided. Had you asked him a few years ago whether or not he ever expected something like this, Jack would have laughed at you, probably even created an icicle on the end of your nose too, just for good humor. But now? Now he couldn't wait.

Jack was going to meet the one person he had been dying to meet for his entire existence.

For the first time, Jack Frost was going to meet the Man in the Moon.

He didn't know how it would happen, and Jack had pictured their meeting in his head a thousand different ways. Some of them were good, others were not so good… and there were even some that were horrible, but none of that really mattered because Jack was going to meet Manny. There was no way that the moon spirit could avoid him.

North had explained how the evening would go, several times in fact because Jack had been asking dozens of questions.

The Guardians would be arriving at the Hearth as part of the Holiday Contingent, which would also include spirits such as Cupid, Sam Hain, and the Leprechaun. There would already be several spirits who had arrived before them, the spirits from the Nature Contingent and the Time Contingent (both of which served Mother Nature and Father Time respectively). The next group to arrive would be the Elder spirits; spirits that had been around for millennia. North had explained that this were spirits who were often confused for gods: Zeus (pronounced Zey Oos, like Deus ex Machina, and he hated hearing it pronounced otherwise), Dionysus, Buddah… and others. Jack was intrigued by these spirits, but they were not the focus of his questioning.

Jack wanted to know about the Primearchs, specifically: Manny.

North had then explained to him that the Primearchs always appeared last. After the Elder spirits arrived, the next group would be the Contingent of Nyght. These were the last remaining Twilight spirits, all of whom still served the Mistress of the Evening sky. North had mentioned a few of the spirits who were apart of this group, like the Grim Reaper, but Jack truly had no desire to meet them. To be honest, the sounds of some of them frightened him just a bit.

Jack wasn't normally one to be afraid, but the idea of meeting Death in person? Who would ever want that experience? The sheer thought of it caused Jack to shudder uncontrollably, and it wasn't because he was cold. Death had always been a touchy subject for Jack, especially now that he could remember his own death. Those were memories he'd rather not touch on, and he quickly pushed them back into the far corners of his mind. The Winter spirit had better things to think about…

Mainly because after the Contingent of Nyght, that was when Manny was due to arrive.

Nyght would bring the evening sky with her arrival, bringing forth the stars and, of course, the Moon. Once the moon appeared in the sky, Manny would be able to make his journey to the Hearth. This was the moment Jack was eagerly awaiting.

Jack was a Guardian, which made him part of the Lunar Contingent: the spirits who served the Man in the Moon. Since Jack Frost didn't have a holiday; technically he was supposed to arrive at the same time as the Manny; however, North had insisted that the Winter spirit arrive with the Holiday Contingent. Seeing as how it was Jack's first New Year's gathering, Mother Earth was certain to understand.

At least, Jack hoped she would understand. The last thing he wanted was to get turned into a pile of ashes from a thunderbolt when Mother Earth arrived at the party. Apparently, even thought the Hearth was their home, Mother Earth and Father Time were the last spirits to arrive.

Their arrival signaled the start of the festivities, which began with mingling. All of the spirits were encouraged to talk among themselves, get to know what was going on in different parts of the world. While this went on, the Primearchs would excuse themselves to Nature's Sanctum, a room deep inside of the Hearth where they would discuss the coming year.

Apparently, it was during this discussion that they would decide whether or not to make any new spirits as well. North said that it was highly unlikely for this too happen. There hadn't been any new spirits created in decades.

Jack had wondered why, and North had looked a little bit sad when he asked this question.

"It is a difficult thing to explain," the old man had smiled, but it was void of any true happiness. "Creating a spirit requires very special circumstances, and very special individuals. Sadly the world is… _lacking _in the necessary requirements. So many people these days are either too selfish, or angry, or callous. There is not enough charity, not enough belief."

"But the children!" Jack protested.

"You would wish children to give up their lives to become spirits, Jack Frost?" North looked at the boy sorrowfully.

It was not a chastisement, nor was it a stern disapproval. North merely wanted Jack to think about what he was saying, to realize the implications.

And Jack did.

"So… for a spirit to be created," the white-haired youth breathed slowly as realization set in. "They have to die?"

"Sadly, yes." North sighed, "It is not a perfect system, but sometimes very special individuals, like yourself, Jack Frost, who experience tragedy… can be preserved. Creation of a spirit, while it can bring great joy and happiness to the world… it also requires great sacrifice. Such is the way of magic."

"I see…"

Jack could understand now why there were so few spirits. The Primearchs not only had to evaluate and find suitable people, but they had to wait until they died.

"Wait…" Jack's eyes widened as another thought occurred to him. "You said that spirits are only created on New Year's correct?"

"Yes," North nodded.

"Does the person have to, " the boy swallowed, "… die on New Year's?"

"Yes," North nodded again. This time the action was much more somber. "There are a few exceptions, people who have died shortly before or after. Time is a fickle concept at best, and with Father Time involved in the selection… it is difficult to understand everything involved."

"So I… died," Jack struggled to swallow, "On New Year's."

It wasn't a question, and North didn't confirm it. The old man didn't have to, because as soon as he spoke the words Jack knew they were true. He had drowned on New Year's eve, before his family had even begun to celebrate. He had died, and this family had started their new year, the next step of their lives, mourning for a lost child.

Jack didn't want to think about it, but the memories just came flooding to the forefront of his mind, completely unbidden.

He remembered dying, the water filling his lungs… cold, piercing. He couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breath. Everything had been painful, like the world was crushing him into a small speck: then darkness. Jack had woken some time after all that, without memories and without a family. He had spent the next three hundred years alone, wondering and wishing for answers.

"You knew…" he whispered.

"Jack?"

He vaguely heard Bunnymund's voice, vaguely saw the worried look on North's face, the trepidation in Toothiana's eyes as she too fluttered into the room. Even Sandman had finally arrived, and he was the only one in the room Jack could focus on. Sandy never spoke, couldn't speak. He was the only one who had never truly kept a secret from Jack.

"You knew," the boy said this like it was fact. "You knew how I died, where I died, when I died! …didn't you?" Jack asked the golden man, but his voice was soft and meek. He almost didn't want to hear the answer.

Sandy looked around the room nervously, but when no one else spoke he took a deep breath, looked Jack in the eyes… and nodded.

"I thought so," Jack sighed.

"Wait a moment, Jack!" Bunny protested. "We may have seen your creation, but we didn't know who you were. Only the Primearchs know that stuff."

"There was also no way for us to know that your memories were gone," Tooth said earnestly, "None of us ever had that problem."

"Is truth, Jack Frost," North said gently. "There are many things about you that we did not know and did not consider."

Jack had his back turned to all of them, still trying to process things. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, and someone forced him to turn around. Jack's gaze was locked upon a pair of emerald green eyes, "Listen to me, Frostbite. I know you've had it rough, and ain't no one here gonna try and say otherwise. We didn't do right by you in the past, but things are different now. You've got no reason to think otherwise."

"I…" Jack's words caught in his through and he had to look away from the intense gaze Bunny was giving him. There was too much emotion going on in the boy's head, and he couldn't concentrate enough as it was. To see so much honest emotion coming from the Easter spirit, Jack found it unsettling. "I know," he finally said. "But why? Why couldn't one of you tell me before? I tried to get your attention for so many years… just to get anything!"

"You were annoying, mate!" Bunny said in exasperation. It wasn't rude, but it was so blunt and honest that it took all of the Guardian's aback.

Even Jack had to blink several times as he absorbed the sudden confession.

"Don't give me that look," Aster shook a paw at all of his fellow Guardians. "I've always been called ill-mannered but at least I'm honest. Frostbite annoyed the hell out of us! No offense, mate," he kept a paw on Jack's shoulder to let him know that while he was being honest, these were not his current feelings. "We didn't know that you had lost your memories. I thought you were just another spirit that had ended up going wrong. Had I known? Had I taken a moment to listen? I would have seen what I know now, Jack…"

"What?" the boy asked, still hurt. He was angry, sad, and a bit skeptical after Bunny's sudden desire to be brutally honest.

"That you're special," Aster said sincerely. "There are things you can do that I haven't seen another spirit capable of, save for some very powerful ones. You understand children better than any of us!" He motioned to North, Tooth, and Sandy, finally to himself. "You managed to live without believers, without spirits helping you, without a holiday… and look at you!"

Bumping Jack lightly with a playful punch, Bunnymund grinned, "You're amazing Jack!"

The white-haired boy blushed, looking around at his friends and noticing that they all shared the same smile, glowing with the warmth of pure affection. "Alright," he muttered, "That enough! Anymore sharing and I'm going to melt from all the warm, fuzzy feelings."

"I make you feel warm and fuzzy do I, Frostbite?" Bunny grinned suggestively.

"Well you are warm and fuzzy, Cottontail," Jack smirked, not falling for the lure. "It must be your aura."

"There's the Jack Frost we know and love!" Bunny pulled the boy into a hug and proceeded to rub a paw playfully into the boy's hair.

"Yes! Is good that we have talked about this!" North cleared his throat, glad to see that the tenuous moment had passed without anything catastrophic happening. "But we must hurry! Is almost time for us to depart!"

"How are we going to get there?" Jack sniffed, force away the last remnants of his near breakdown. "Isn't the Hearth protected by magic?"

"Oh, yes!" Tooth giggled, "The most powerful kinds, but we have invitations!" She gestured to the gathered animals: the polar bear, the peacock, the kangaroo, the camel… and Rosco the evil penguin.

"So, how do they help?" Jack raised a wary eyebrow, not having any desire to travel with the temperamental artic avian.

North reached into his fur overcoat and pulled out his snow globe portal creator, bringing it up to his lips and whispering, "Hearth and Home…"

The bulky Russian threw the snow globe with a laugh and rather than it's normal portal, it created a massive, swirling vortex of green and gold light. At the other side of it Jack could see a tropical paradise filled with flowers and animals of all species and varieties and colors. He could see lakes and waterfalls, mountains and streams, forests and jungles… it was like the entire earth was compressed and contained into a single place, and somehow all of these elements came together to create a giant mansion that sat in the middle of space and time.

Jack had no way of describing the phenomenon beyond that because the longer he looked at it the more his mind was blown.

"Everyone grab their invitations," North chuckled, "We go through in ten seconds! Nine! Eight!"

North hopped onto the back of the polar bear, riding it like a steed, He gave a loud "whoop!", urging it towards the portal. "Seven! Six!"

Tooth allowed the peacock to perch on her shoulder as she flew after North, Sandy road his camel, and that left Jack and Bunnymund staring at their invitations with trepidation.

"You want to go first?" Jack asked.

"I'm thinking about staying home," Bunny confessed. That had to be a better option than showing up with a Kangaroo as your representation.

"I don't think he likes that option very much," Jack pointed hesitantly at Rosco the penguin, who was snapping his beak together menacingly. The bird eyed Jack and Bunny's ankles as if they were ripe for attacking.

"You've got a right nasty little friend there, Frostbite," Bunny glared daggers at the penguin.

"He's not my friend."

"Three, Two, One!" North let out a cheer as he vanished through the portal.

"It's now or never," Jack groaned, reaching down at scooping up Rosco before the penguin even realized what was going on. Jack had made it halfway to the portal before the evil bird recovered. Rosco looked like he was about to peck for all he was worth, but Jack had other ideas. "You peck me and I'll freeze your beak together," Jack cautioned. "Don't believe me? Push your luck."

Rosco contemplated his options, but the look in Jack's icy, blue eyes told the bird that he wasn't joking. The penguin let out a squawk of protest, but he didn't attack. Jack leaped through the portal, satisfied that he wasn't going to be penguin food, and he couldn't help the feeling of excitement. He had friends, friends who genuinely cared about him… he knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Now all he had to do was ask the Man in the Moon the most important question of his life.

How hard could that be?

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**A/N - **

**So, what do you think? Was that good enough to wait for? Let me know in your reviews!**

**If not, well I promise you that the next chapter is gonna be much more... EXCITING! We're gonna probably have to have several updates, because chapter 14 is already at about 10,000 words and I'm no where near I want to be with it. It will probably end up getting split in certain places. I'm excited because I get to introduce a whole bunch of new spirits. My personal favorites? I'll give some teasers:**

**Grim Reaper (I like my take on Death), Nyght (I know people have been making preconceived notions about her), Man in the Moon, Cupid, Mother Earth, Father Time... and I've got a few new OCs that I'm quite fond of. I've created two more counterparts for Jack and Rustle. We know that Jack is Winter and Rustle is Summer, but now we have to meet Spring and Fall. With their introduction, we are going to learn a great deal more about not only Weather Spirits, but also about Rustle's past and surprising a little bit about Jack's past as well.**

**That's about all I have for you tonight. I've been entertaining my guest, so it's going to take me a few days to get back into the rhythm of writing. I look to try and update again this weekend.**


	18. Meet the Family: Part 1

**Hey! I'm still alive! I promise! I have been sick as a dog, and I'm still freaking writing the New Year's event. It... is turning out to be a MUCH LARGER plot point than I thought it would be. . So, yeah. Bunch of introductions, bunch of information, bunch of foreshadowing... still not finished yet. However, I did want to update, considering that it was Saturday. So... have a small part of the next chapter.**

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**Chapter 14**

Jack's jaw dropped the moment he emerged on the other side of the portal. He'd jumped from Santa's Workshop in Winter Wonderland to standing on the precipice of paradise.

The portal brought him to stand upon a large circle of pavestones which were ringed by giant moss covered pillars. Apparently this was the entry way for any method of transportation to the Hearth. Portals were opening from many different locations, spirits appearing through them and milling about in random conversation as they left the "landing zone" and headed towards the large clearing down below.

Trees surrounded the clearing, trees from every climate: palm trees, willow trees, massive oak trees laden with acorns, pine trees, maple trees… It was a forest collage, clumped together in the strangest assortment that Jack had ever seen. Down in the clearing, Jack noticed that there was a long, T-shaped table with several dozen chairs and place settings. Apparently there were going to be quite a few spirits at this gathering.

"Oy! Watch where your going you overgrown suitcase!" Bunnymund came staggering through the portal as he was manhandled by the kangaroo that would be his invitation.

"Problems, Bunny?" North raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"This bugger wouldn't let me stay at the Pole!" Bunny protested.

"Of course not." A masculine voice sang.

"They encourage guests not to break their word." This voice was distinctively female in tone.

Jack turned to see where the strange voices had come from, coming face to face with two of the brightest colored individuals he had ever seen.

The first one was a boy about Jack's age. He had wild unruly hair, styled much like David Bowie, which was auburn in color. Spaced sporadically throughout his bright orange hair were leaves the color of Autumn: brown and gold oak leaves, red maple leaves, yellow birch leaves. It should have looked a mess, but on this boy they looked purposeful and stylish. He wore an open brown, leather vest and leather pants without shoes, which revealed significant portions of deep, tanned native skin. The boy's skin was rustic, smooth, and it flowed over lithe muscles. He looked like a native American glam rocker, and he smiled at Jack with golden eyes that glistened with excitement.

Next to him was a girl who looked very much like a pixie. She had short-cropped, spiky emerald hair that stood all over the place at various directions. Her top was a corset made of thick, waxy green leaves and her skirt was comprised of long, wispy blades of grass. Her eyes were the color of the forest, sparkling with every shade and fleck of green imaginable. She was hovering slightly off the ground, her toes barely grazing the grass beneath her, and she held out an eager hand towards Jack, offering it in greeting.

"Hello, Jack Frost," she smiled, "I've been waiting for this day!"

"Um," Jack tentatively took her hand and shook it, "Do I know you?"

"No," she blushed, "but I've known about you."

"We both have," the native boy grinned widely, rushing forward and shaking Jack's hand vigorously. Jack was afraid his arm was going to fly off, the boy was shaking it up and down so fast.

"Great!" Jack forced a smile, pulling out of the other boy's grip and taking a few steps backwards. Apparently personal space was a foreign concept to most spirits. "So, do I get to know who you are?"

"Oh!" the tanned boy smacked both of his hands to his cheeks, looking ashamed, "I'm sorry! We both have been so excited to meet you that we completely forgot our manners!"

"He's right," the girl smiled, dropping to the ground and bowing her head in apology. "I'm April Meriwether."

"And I'm Augustus Fall," the boy grinned.

They both looked at Jack as if this should have some sort of special meaning, but the white-haired boy was still slightly confused. Jack wasn't certain why these two spirits were so excited to meet him, after all he didn't have a clue who they were. All he could tell from their appearances were that they seemed similar in nature to Rustle.

And then it clicked for him. Jack's eyes widened in realization. "You're weather spirits!"

"Yep!" April smiled.

"The three of use are the only weather spirits left!" Augustus crossed his arms as if this were an important declaration.

"Not really," Jack smirked, glad to know something that they didn't. He had thought he'd been an outsider at this function, certain that all the spirits here would know more than he did.

"Come again?" the auburn haired boy frowned.

"I met another weather spirit just before Christmas," Jack explained. "His name was Rustle."

"Wait a minute!" April grabbed Jack by the shoulders, "You've seen Rustle!? Rustle O. Thunder?" She repeated the name as if there were more than one spirit in the world who would go by that name.

"Yeah," Jack blushed slightly, remembering the last time he had seen the summer spirit. "I saw him only a few days ago."

"That's impossible," April breathed, looking over at Augustus. The tanned boy looked thoughtful, biting his bottom lip with brilliant white teeth.

"Rustle disappeared half a century ago," Augustus explained when he saw Jack's look of confusion.

"What do you mean, disappeared?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"I mean he just vanished," the orange-haired spirit shrugged. "He stopped showing up at New Years, he didn't come when Mother Nature summoned him. We assumed… that he'd faded."

Jack didn't like the sound of that. The idea of Rustle fading away was a horrifying prospect, and he was absolutely certain that the world would be a colder place without the little blue-haired spirit to spread his warmth. Shrugging off the depressing mental images, Jack squared his shoulders, "Well, I saw him. I'm sure if you had bothered to look you could have found him."

April bristled at Jack's comment, "You think we didn't look?"

"Rustle told me that most of the spirits didn't care for him," Jack said coldly.

"Well," Augustus looked uncomfortable. "We weather spirits have it rough, mainly because we're different from the other spirits, but we stick together."

"We searched for years," April's eyes were stern. "We tried to find him, but eventually we had to get back to our jobs. The world was getting out of balance. When weather spirits stop doing their jobs, bad things happen."

"Like what?" Bunnymund hopped up beside Jack.

The Winter spirit turned to regard the rabbit, having completely forgotten he was there. North, Toothiana, and Sandman had already left the large stone circle and had gone down into the clearing to mingle with the other spirits who had already arrived, but apparently Bunny had decided to stick around. Jack was grateful because he didn't quite like the way this conversation had been heading.

"El Niño ring any bells?" April asked.

"Tornados, dust storms, tidal waves, droughts…" Augustus listed off the items on their fingers. He said the natural disasters like they were a shopping list.

"When Rustle vanished and we went looking for him," April looked down at the ground, "Everything started to spin out of control. You weren't around yet Jack… Auggie and I had to hold everything together."

"But Rustle is doing his job," Jack protested. "He was heading down south last time I saw him."

April and Augustus exchanged skeptical looks.

"I'll admit that things have been easier the past few years," April murmured, "This year especially."

"We just attributed it to your becoming a Guardian," the orange-haired boy smiled at Jack, letting him know that this was obviously a compliment. "Ever since you started being a prominent figure, you've really been helping us out."

"Yeah," April sighed, "Winter is really not my specialty. Auggie is better at it, but still… we were having troubles. People were calling it Global Warming. Like it's our fault that we didn't have help!" The emeral pixie crossed her arms, pouting. Obviously she felt put-out at having the humans complain about the job she had been doing.

"Pardon my butting in again," Bunny said waving a paw, "But I can vouch for Jackie here. That Rustle bloke? Total pain in the arse."

The orange and green weather spirits looked at Bunnymund with wide eyes stares of astonishment, as if it were the first time they had actually acknowledge his presence.

"You're the E. Aster Bunnymund," April breathed.

"Yeah?" the rabbit's ears twitched nervously.

"And you're talking to us?" Augustus whispered.

"Yeah?" Bunny questioned further.

"That's so cool!" the two weather spirits exclaimed at the same time.

"This is a new occurrence?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"None of the major spirits give us much time of day," Augustus shrugged. "They tend to stick to their specific groups.

"Holiday spirits converse with holiday spirits," April explained.

Jack shot Bunnymund an icy glare, "So you didn't _just_ ignore me?"

"Hey, now!" the Easter Bunny protested, "This is my first time meeting them!"

"Actually we greet the guests every year," Augustus grinned. "You're just normally in a hurry to drop off your invitation.

"You rush right by us," April giggled.

"See!" Bunny pointed, "Not my fault."

The look that Jack gave him was far from forgiving, and Bunny shuddered at the icy nature of the Winter spirit's eyes. In that moment, E. Aster Bunnymund was struck by two very profound emotions in a short time period: fear and guilt. Fear… because Bunny was certain Jack could ignore him for the entire evening if he chose to, and guilt? Well, if he was being honest Bunny knew that he had ignored the lower class of spirits. Back in the day he always thought of himself as a hot shot; he was the Easter Bunny for crying out loud! He'd never given two seconds of thought to how his actions might have affected other people.

"I… was different back then," Aster sighed. He turned to April and Augustus. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," April smiled warmly. "We're used to it."

"Speak for yourself," Augustus grinned, walking up and shaking Bunnymund's paw. "I'm going to make the most out of this! Look at me! I'm shaking hand with the Easter Kangaroo!"

"I'm a bunny!" Aster groaned, "What is it that _confuses_ you weather spirits?"

"Um…" Augustus pointed to the large Kangaroo that was standing a few feet behind Bunnymund.

"Blimey!" Face palming, the Easter Bunny walked over to his invitation, "Come on, mate. Let's get you dropped off so I can get to the bar. This is bound t'be a long night." Before he left, Aster turned to Jack with a questioning glance, "You gonna be alright on your own, Frostbite?"

"Yeah," Jack shrugged. "I'll manage."

"Alright, see ya 'round then." He waved goodbye to the weather spirits and hopped off down towards the clearing.

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Rustle was on Jamie's roof, watching as the night sky exploded with fireworks. The cascading colored sparks glittered and spiraled through the darkness. The blue-haired spirit had been melancholy ever since Jamie had found him in the park, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. Nothing was physically wrong with him, and mind seemed to be as sharp as always, but Rustle knew something was wrong.

It had been several days, and he still couldn't remember anything. From Christmas Eve until Jamie had woken him up, Rustle was drawing a blank. That would be troublesome enough on its own, but the more he thought about it Rustle discovered that there were several periods of time where he had no memory of doing anything. In the past it had never bothered him. Rustle had just assumed that it was a natural part of living for hundreds of years; it was impossible to remember every detail about your life, so a little blank spot here and there never seemed to bother him.

Now it was a completely different feeling. He'd never lost such a large chunk of his memory before, and being found unconscious by Jamie caused Rustle to reevaluate his previous memory lapses. Spirits didn't have to sleep, in fact they rarely did unless they needed to heal or conserve their energy. So for Rustle to have been unconscious, something had to have happened to him.

The Summer spirit growled in frustration, inwardly cursing the blank spots in his brain. Something important had happened! Rustle could feel an aching pain in his chest, as if he had lost something very important, but, no matter how hard he concentrated or focused, not a single memory came back to him. It felt hopeless, and Rustle's melancholy demeanor was threatening to slip into depression.

Looking up at the fireworks, Rustle sighed. They should have been beautiful, but they seemed lifeless, their colors bland when compared to his memories of playing with Jack Frost in the snow. The joy that he could remember from that night brought a smile unexpectedly to Rustle's lips, which only served to further confuse him.

Why? What could he remember something as simple as that, but he couldn't remember what had placed him into a semi-coma?

"Hey?" a tentative voice called out to him.

Rustle turned to see Jamie climbing up onto his roof. "Hey…" he replied blandly. "Shouldn't you be out with your friends?"

"Ran out of fireworks," Jamie shrugged, taking off his coat and sitting down next to Rustle. "I can watch them from here and have just as much fun." The kid eyed the Summer spirit warily, noticing the somberness of Rustle's features. "Still nothing?"

"No!" the spirit sighed in exasperation. Rustle rolled onto his side, turning his back to Jamie.

"It's only been a few days," the boy coaxed. "Give it some time. I read on the internet that-"

"There gone!" Rustle snapped. "Just… gone. There's a big, black spot in my head and I can't remember what was supposed to be there."

Rustle sat up and gripped his head between his hands. "There are little black dots all over my memory," fingers tightened, grasping desperately around handfuls of blue hair, "I never cared before. But I'm missing something!" Rustle groaned, falling backward and slamming his head against Jamie's roof, as if that might jar something loose from his memory. "Why do I feel like I've lost something important?!"

"It's okay," Jamie scooted over closer to Rustle. The boy felt like he should be trying to comfort the spirit, but when it came to dealing with these sorts of situations Jamie didn't have very much experience. His mom was the one that knew how to comfort people. Jamie decided that he would just do what she did, and he hoped it would work.

Rustle stiffened when he felt am arm wrap around his shoulders. The blue-haired spirit turned, wide-eyed, to look at Jamie. The boy was hugging him! "Um…"

"It's okay," Jamie repeated. He could feel Rustle's body tense, but Jamie refused to let go. "It's okay to be frustrated. Things like this suck!"

"Yeah…" Rustle nodded, relaxing a bit. He didn't know why, but to have someone agree with him was quite comforting.

"You're memory will come back," Jamie reassured him, though he didn't know how confident he sounded. "You just need to stop obsessing about it."

"But!" Rustle protested.

"Not buts!" Jamie put on his mom voice. "Has it helped you do anything yet?"

"No…" the spirit grumbled.

"Alright," Jamie smirked. "Then it won't help if you keep doing it. So why don't you come with me to the park?" The boy hopped up onto his feet and gave Rustle a mischievous grin, "I've been telling my friends about you." Having said that, the boy clambered down from the roof and swung into his room.

Rustle was left alone, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. He really had no desire to be sociable, but part of him was intrigued. After all, hadn't he and Jamie had a bet about this? Against his better judgment, Rustle pushed off the roof and floated down to the ground, waiting for Jamie to come out the front door. The boy was right; Rustle wasn't getting anywhere by wallowing in his misery. Going to the park could prove to be the distraction he was looking for.

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**A/N - **

**I know! I know! Just delaying the inevitable! You're probably going to maul me! But! But! Next chapter I introduce EVERYONE! I swears! So, just... review, and tell me how angry you are. That will motivate me to finish this nonsense up in a hurry! :D **

**Yeah! Reviews will help me feel better! *evil laugh***


	19. Meet the Family: Part 2

**Ok, here we go. I'm gonna be nice and give you another update much sooner than I planned on it. Mainly because I feel like these chapters are fluff stuff that builds up to something better, and I really want to get to that something better.**

**Warning: I've said this before, but my story only uses the ROTG movie as its foundation. I know that books have been written, but I am creating my own backstory and universe here. I'm simply building off of the movie. So, people who love the books, I'm sorry but I'm pretty certain that my Man in the Moon is going to be OOC.**

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At first Jack was apprehensive of the weather spirits; April and Augustus seemed almost fake in their eagerness to speak with him. They smiled just a little too much, laughed a little too freely, and even when Jack said something potentially insulting they didn't even flinch; however, after several minutes of talking Jack was able to tell that these two spirits were operating in much the same way that Rustle was: they were wearing masks.

They'd been talking for about ten minutes or so, and during that time Jack had discovered several interesting facts about his new acquaintances. April was the spirit of Spring, and in a way she was very much like Bunnymund. She was responsible for rebirth and new life. April hovered over the ground because everywhere she stepped caused flowers to grow, and apparently Mother Nature didn't like people redecorating her home.

Augustus on the other hand was April's opposite. The orange-haired glam rocker was the spirit of Autumn, and he was only a few centuries older than Jack. Augustus enjoyed hearing anything that came out of Jack's mouth, and he had a sincerity that was difficult to doubt. Something in the boy's amber colored eyes spoke of honesty and innocence, and innocence that even Jack no longer felt.

It took time, but slowly Jack was able to see glimpses of the people behind the masks: April was an old spirit, older even than Rustle. She appeared to be cheery and bright, but she was cautious. She very seldom let her mask falter, but when she did… Jack could see a profound sense of loneliness. Augustus, on the other hand, had difficulty keeping his mask in place.

The more Jack spoke with the Autumn spirit, the more he was able to see that Augustus was frightened, insecure, and uncertain of himself. In order to make up for these uncertainties, Augustus had created this flamboyant personality and appearance. It all seemed harmless, but Jack couldn't help but feel sorry for the orange-haired boy. Apparently being partnered up with April was a daunting experience.

"I still can't believe we haven't met each other before now," Jack frowned.

"Well…" Augustus grinned in embarrassment, "I've wanted to meet you for a while now, but Mother Nature specifically said you were off limits."

"What?" Jack's eyes widened, "Why!?"

There was a flash of anger, like a spring thunderstorm, that jumped across April's eyes. It vanished so quickly that Jack assumed he had imagined it.

"What Augustus means," April said, putting on that fake smile of hers, "is that Mother Nature normally lets weather spirits find their own way. Sometimes it takes decades, some take longer. But you're hear now!"

"Uh huh," Jack eyed the girl suspiciously. The then turned to look at Augustus, but the orange-haired boy was looking down at the ground. April had effectively shut him up. Something about the exchange made Jack wonder what exactly was going on. They were hiding something from him.

He was about to voice his suspicions when the ground suddenly trembled violently. Jack looked around wildly, expecting some sort of attack.

"The Elders have arrived!" a voice boomed, followed by another tremble.

Jack noticed that the trees around the stone circle were now moving, alive. They have arms, legs, faces all formed out of bark and limbs and leaves. These trees were some of the most interesting oddities he'd ever witnessed.

"Treants," April said when she saw Jack's confusion. "They are servants of the Hearth."

"Are they spirits?" Jack questioned.

"Not entirely," she frowned, "More like familiars. They are servants of Mother Earth."

"Guardians of the Hearth," Augustus chimed in. "They are the Gatekeepers."

The Treants stomped their feet on final time, in unison, and held their hands up to the sky. Jack watch in wonder as several phenomenal things started happening at once.

Water began bubbling up through the pavestones of the large circle. It twisted and writhed, coalescing into the form of a woman. The water then seemed to solidify, forming into a figure that wore flowing garments of blue, and turquoise, and cerulean. She had hair that seemed to be made out of sea foam, eyes that were blue as sapphires, skin the tone of white beach sand, and her dress looked like it was an eighteenth century ball gown made out of the oceans themselves.

The Treants stomped their feet and echoed out an announcement, "Oceana, Queen of the Seven Seas, Lady of the four oceans, Master of the currents!"

Jack stared wide-eyed as the newest arrival waved to the spirits that were around the gateway. Oceana smiled a brilliant smile, her teeth shining like sunlight through water, and then she took to the steps as she walked towards the clearing.

"Um," Jack pointed at the woman who appeared to be a glamazon of the spirit world. "What was that?"

"That would be Oceana," April smiled. "She is the most powerful water spirit in the world."

"Did everyone get an announcement like that?" Jack asked. He hoped that his own arrival wasn't so… flashy.

"Oh, yes!" Augustus clapped, waving at Oceana as she passed. "Though, most are just announced by name."

"I see," Jack nodded, turning back towards the stone circle as the Treants stomped their feet to announce another arrival.

There was a roaring thunderclap, and a bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, appearing literally out of thin air. The lightning struck the center of the stone circle with an epic flash and an even louder "CRACK!" The light seemed to expand upon itself, snapping and sparking as it formed into the image of a large man. He had bugling muscles and an impressive frame. His hair was long, and white as clouds, and he possessed a beard even larger and more flowing that North. This man had olive colored skin, most of which was showing as he only seemed to be wearing a white, linen kilt. One his wrists and ankles were large, gold bands encrusted with amethysts and sapphires, and in his right hand he seemed to carry a walking cane, except the cane was a living, violently crackling thunderbolt.

Jack looked at the man in awe, feeling the very air around the circle buzz with static electricity.

"Lord Zeus! King of the skies, master of the air, emperor of the storms!"

"Zeus?" Jack asked incredulously.

"No!" April shook her hands emphatically, 'Zay Oos! It's pronounced like that."

"Why?"

"Because he invented Latin," Augustus explained, "And he likes his name pronounced correctly!"

"Okay," Jack chuckled. "Is he the real Zeus? Like in the greek god?"

"Oh, yes!" April nodded, "He's been around for thousands of years. They've called him Zeus, Jupiter, Odin…"

"I liked when they called him Crazy Old Thunderbird!" Augustus chuckled.

"No one ever called him that!" April hissed, looking warily at Zeus's thunderbolt.

If the Thunder spirit heard anything, then he didn't appear to let it bother him. Zeus gave a friendly wave in their direction and then he too left the gateway and headed for the clearing.

Zeus hadn't even left the stone circle before more spirits started showing up. Jack stood and watch the spectacle that unfolded as the Elder spirits practically started piling in on top of one another. He saw Buddah appear, who looked very much like many of his statues: a rather jolly, portly man who showed off way too much of his belly. Then there was Dionysus the spirit of revelry, a rather rosy cheeked fellow in a purple toga who came through the portal carrying a cask of wine.

There were spirits that Jack had never heard of many of them from different cultures: a dragon spirit from Asia, an Eagle from North America, and a large, armored serpent from Brazil.

Then came a shocking new arrival. The Treants pounded their feet, the ground shook, and then all of a sudden the clouds dropped out of the sky, forming what looked to be a spiral staircase of white, fluffy cotton balls. At the top of the staircase appeared a man.

Jack had to describe him as, for lack of a better word, an angel.

This man had a large pair of voluminous, white wings which were at the moment furled behind his back. He wore a bright red button down shirt, with the top few buttons unfastened to show of the perfectly tanned skin of his chest. He wore a pair of black leather flared pants and the most expensive pair of leather boots that Jack had ever seen. With each step this angel took, his entire form seemed to shimmer, sparkle, shine and flicker… it was such a dazzling sight that it was almost painful to look upon.

"Cupid, God of Love, Master of the Bow, Angel of Accuracy," the Treants announced.

"And don't forget Lord of the Dance!" Cupid called out. As if to prove his claim, the angel decided to descend the stairs while he performed the most intricate tap-dance routine Jack had ever witnessed. Cupid landed on the pavestones of the gateway to cheers and applause from all the spirits gathered, many of which had come up from the clearing just to witness his arrival.

"Thank you! Ladies," Cupid blew a kiss, "And gentlemen, I don't show favoritism!" At this statement, Cupid locked eyes on Jack and gave him a wink.

Feeling completely revolted, Jack Frost rolled his eyes and turned to face April and Augustus, "Really?"

April smirked and called out to the love god, "Showing up a little bit late this year aren't you, Cupid?"

"April, my love!" Cupid beamed, his smile practically disarming. "What's with that disapproving tone?"

"The holiday spirits arrived half an hour ago," the green-haired spirit of Spring smirked.

"I'm moving up in the world, darling," the white-winged angel chuckled, "I'm just as elderly as old Zoosy down there, though I must admit I've aged better."

"You haven't aged at all," April rolled her eyes. "You're still as annoying as the day I met you."

"You're words wound me, madam!" Cupid pulled an arrow out of thin air and stuck it under his armpit, pretending to have been shot.

"You'll get worse than that if you don't clear out," April warned.

"I take it that she hasn't arrived yet?" Cupid raised an eyebrow, looking up to the sky where the sun was setting.

"I'm certain she'll be here any moment," Augustus clapped his hands with excitement.

"Ah, well then," Cupid snapped his fingers, causing his cloud staircase to vanish. With a single flap of his wings he leapt from the gateway and landed right next to April, Augustus, and Jack. "There we go, now I'm out of harms way."

"Show pony," April scoffed, turning away from the angel.

"Don't be like that!" Cupid sighed, "I'm much prettier than a pony…"

"April's just mad that you didn't call her on her birthday," Augustus offered.

"I don't do birthdays!" Cupid looked appalled, "Birthdays mean someone's gotten older, and love does not know age, nor reason, nor time!"

"One of those things is true," April muttered.

"Oh, that tongue of yours is as sharp as ever," Cupid smiled in delight. "And what do we have here?" The angel turned his beaming gaze towards Jack.

The winter spirit took a step back, because seeing Cupid up close and personal was like looking into the face of… well there wasn't a good way to describe it. Jack imaged that this man was probably the very definition of attractive. His skin was flawless, tanned but just barely so. Cupid was neither pale, nor was his skin dark. His blonde hair was silken, wavy and seemed to be every shade of blonde from yellow to golden, but at the same time it seemed to look perfect, not a single strand out of place. Then there were his eyes, they were brown, almost the color of rich almond skins or fresh coffee; his eyes were bright even though their color was of earthen tone, and they shone with excitement, lust, passion, earnest longing… everything one would expect to see in a lover. Jack's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly reminded himself that Cupid was the spirit of such emotions and therefore probably caused these sorts of feelings all the time.

"Cupid!" April barked, "Leave him alone!"

"What?" the angel whined, "If he's affected by my charming personality that can only mean one thing!"

"What's that?" Jack asked warily.

"Why…" Cupid gave him a sly, sideways glance, "That you are in love my dear boy. Whoever could the lucky individual be, I wonder?"

Jack blushed and took a step backward, "You're wrong. I'm not in love with anyone."

"Oh, I'm never wrong about these things," Cupid tapped his nose. "It's a sixth sense."

"Jack doesn't need you sniffing him, pervert!" April smacked cupid upside the head. "Go and harass someone else. I saw Toothiana arrive a few minutes ago."

"Toothy is here?!" Cupid perked up and looked down at the large clearing, "Tooth my darling! Don't move!" With that the angel flew off, the wind from his wings causing Jack's hair and clothes to blow about in the gusts.

"Well, he was… different," Jack muttered.

"Ignore him," April groaned. "That's the only way to deal with Cupid."

"I don't know," Augustus smirked, "I think he likes you, April."

"Can it!" the green-haired girl glared.

Jack watched the two of them in amusement, noticing that for the first time that night April and Augustus were acting normally. They weren't pretending, they weren't covering up their emotions, and they both seemed like genuinely decent people. Perhaps he had been reading too much into their earlier encounter? They were probably just as nervous about meeting Jack as he was about coming here. It was nice to see them warming up to him enough that they could act a little uninhibited.

"Oh! Look! I can't believe she decided to show up!" Augustus pointed towards the gateway.

"Who?" Jack looked around, not seeing anyone.

"Just watch," April breathed.

Jack did watch.

At first nothing seemed to happen. The stone circle remained empty, the Treants continued pounding their feet in that rhythmic beat, and the sun continued to set. But then he saw it…

The final rays of sunlight seemed to merge, forming a bright, golden beam of light which focused upon the stone circle of the gateway. The light created such an intense heat that Jack had to cover his face; it was as hot as the fires which had destroyed North's Workshop. The heat kicked up a heavy wind, blowing everyone's hair and clothes around wildly, and then suddenly the center of the gateway exploded into a pillar of fire and light!

The ground was scorched with the symbol of a flaming bird, what appeared to be a phoenix, although Jack could barely make it out because he was squinting against the bright glare. There was a roar as the flames shot up into the sky, and then just as suddenly as it had appeared, the fire died and the light faded, leaving behind one of the most imperious looking individuals Jack Frost had ever lain eyes upon.

It was a woman, easily six foot or taller in height. She had billowing, copper hair that seemed to move like living flames. On her head sat a golden crown that looked like rays of the sun were surrounding her face, and she wore dress of gold. The cloth of her outfit was golden, flowing out like a dress around her waist, but the top was like medieval plate mail, made of copper and bronze, which fit her feminine form perfectly, but also made her look indestructibly lethal. Her skin was smooth, sun caressed, almost as if it glittered with light from the inside, and her eyes, which were lined with dark kohl markings, seemed to have irises of living flame. Not harsh, dying embers… no, these eyes were pure heat, flames that could burn and engulf. Jack felt that, if she wanted to, this woman could turn him to cinders with a simple glance.

"Solara, Lady of the Morning Sky, Mistress of the Dawn, Protector of the Light, Keeper of the Sun!" The Treants intoned.

The golden woman didn't even spare a glance for any of the spirits that had gathered to watch her arrival. She merely walked down the stone steps towards the clearing, leaving a path of charred grass in her wake, though Jack noticed that once she was a good distance away, the grass quickly returned to normal.

"Who is she?" he asked quietly.

"She's one of the oldest spirits," Augustus replied.

"And one of the most powerful," April added. "Solara is _the _sun spirit, just like the Man in the Moon is the spirit of… well… the moon."

"Wait," Jack furrowed his brow, "Would that make her like one of the Primearchs?"

April and Augustus shared a nervous look. "Not exactly…" the green haired girl muttered.

"Why not?"

"It's _complicated_," April looked uncomfortable.

"I can't believe she showed up this year!" Augustus looked like he was about to blast off into the atmosphere; the boy was barely able to contain his excitement.

"Does she normally not show up?" Jack asked.

"She gets invited every year," April explained, though she looked uncomfortable in doing so. "But it's a… formality."

"The last time she showed up was, what?" Augustus started counting on his fingers, "Five… six decades ago?"

"Okay," Jack frowned, watching April closely. "So, why did she show up this year?" He leaned on his staff, trying to look as calm and aloof as possible, but something about the way they were acting had him intrigued.

"Who knows," April shrugged. "She and Mother Nature tend to have… differences of opinion."

Jack raised an eyebrow. He could tell immediately that there was giant story hidden behind that simple explanation, and it was a story he felt was incredibly important. From the way that April had her arms crossed, Jack could tell he wasn't going to be able to get any more information on the subject. It was possible that Augustus might be able to tell him more, but as long as April was around that wouldn't happen.

Still, Jack couldn't help be smirk. It was humorous to him, learning that even the oldest spirits still seemed to have trivial issues with one another. The Winter spirit found it encouraging. No, he didn't like the idea that such powerful entities could hold grudges and be at odds with one another, but it did make him feel like he was on the proper track. If spirits who were thousands of years old could still have flaws… then that meant he wasn't doing so bad himself.

"The Contingent of Nyght arrives!" the Treants pounded their feet in unison, the sound echoing through the air.

Looking up from his thoughts, Jack noticed that not only had the sun set below the horizon, but the sky had suddenly gone completely dark. Stars twinkled in the blackness, the moon was beginning to crest over the tree line, and the air had grown cool and moist. Crickets were singing, owls were hooting, and the symphony of the evening had begun in earnest, as if they were announcing the presence of the next spirits to appear.

Jack waited expectantly, ready for whatever spectacle would announce the coming of the first Primearch, but unlike the Elder spirits who had come before, there was no grand announcement, no flashy display of power or light.

In fact, Jack could have missed the portal all together had he not been paying such close attention.

The appearance of the portal was subtle, simple really. The shadows around the gateway, those that were cast by firelight from the torches mounted upon the stone pillars, began to slowly draw towards the center of the circle of stones. They swirled silently together forming a dark, spiraling mass that quickly leapt into the air to form a pair a dark, ebony doors.

The doors swung open instantly, without making a sound, and Jack half expected to see darkness on the other side.

Instead what he saw was eternity and an infinite look into the universe. He saw thousands of stars, nebulae, galaxies… all of them where hanging within the infinite reaches and vast grip of the void of space. The sight reveal on the other side of these doors was spellbinding! Jack had ever seen anything like it. Sure, he had looked up at the night sky many times, and he had always marveled at the sheer number of stars, but they were nothing compared to this. The depths of space held many, countless points of light which were woven together in such a rich tapestry that it almost took Jack's breath away.

From somewhere in the expanse that lay within that doorway, a figure stepped out onto the stones of the gateway circle, and Jack had to tear his eyes away from the stars to truly focus on just what had appeared.

It was a man.

His skin was pale and soft like moonlight, his hair, long and straight, was as black as the void of space, but somehow appeared lustrous and warm. He wore a simple black t-shirt with a white skull printed on the front, a pair of tight black jeans with a slight flare at the calf, and a pair of black boots that looked as if they came from a military supply depot. None of his attire really set him apart or made him special.

No, the features that made him special were two things which Jack couldn't take his eyes away from.

The first where his wings. This man had the largest pair of wings Jack had ever seen: massive appendages with glossy black feathers, shimmering between pitch black and midnight blue, just like a crow's feathers. This man's wings were larger than Cupid's, and they made Toothiana's wings look almost insignificant in comparison. When the man touched down on the pavestones, his wings unfurled and they had a span of nearly twenty feet. Their width seemed to engulf everything around them, absorbing light and heat and air. It was a near suffocating effect, as if they possessed the gravitational pull of a black hole. The man then closed his wings behind him, and the world seemed to return to normal.

Jack was left to stare at the other feature that couldn't be ignored: the man's eyes.

The pale man had eyes like mercury, luminescent silver that swam and shifted, changing in shade from their brightest color like moonlight… to dark as charcoal. As soon as he had exited the doorway, the man had locked eyes upon Jack, and the Winter spirit saw exactly the one thing he tried so very hard to forget.

Jack saw his death.

He remembered falling through the ice, remembered swallowing that cold, unforgiving water. Jack remembered what it felt like to stop breathing, to have everything end… he felt the cold, dark embrace of nothingness.

And then the man turned away from him and walked towards the steps.

Jack inhaled sharply, gasping as he started breathing again. He hadn't even remembered holding his breath. "Who…" he swallowed. "Who in the world?" Why weren't the trees announcing names? Had he missed the man's name? How much time had passed? Looking around Jack noticed that several other spirits had existed out of the doorway. Many of them were female spirits that looked as if they were made of glistening star light or wispy shadows.

"That was Thanatos," Augustus whispered, coming to stand close to Jack. "Don't worry. He makes me shiver every time I see him."

"Thanatos?" Jack gave the Autumn spirit a curious look.

"Spirit of Death," the other boy explained. "The Grim Reaper?"

"Death…" Jack muttered. That explained things, and it also terrified him. Jack didn't know if he could look that man in the eyes again, not if he was going to witness his own death every time. How could a spirit be so powerful that they could force your mind to witness something so… horrible?

"You alright?" Augustus asked quietly.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope," Augustus pointed. "Watch!"

Jack turned to the doorway just in time to see all of the stars vanish. The universe beyond the doorway went dark, and from that darkness stepped perhaps the most beautiful woman Jack had ever laid eyes upon.

Her skin was luminous, radiant as a star and pale as moonlight. Her hair was black as night, hanging about her face in tight, perfect ringlets and suspended in each of those ringlets seemed to be tiny, pulsing lights. Then Jack realized they were actually stars! These little celestial orbs seemed to be caught within her hair, trapped like stars in the gravity well of a black hole… so they were held in place, adorning her tresses like glittering diamonds. She word a gown made of shadowy fabric, like a cocktail dress or an evening gown made for the academy awards, or a slim fitting garment made for a lounge singer. It was hard to tell because the fabric shifted and flowed around her as she moved, and Jack suddenly realized that she wasn't wearing fabric. She was actually wearing shadows! The darkness around her seemed to have a mind of its own, constantly changing the shape of her gown but never leaving her looking less than regal.

"Nyght, Mistress of the Evening Sky, Primearch of the Primordial Darkness!" the Treants chanted.

Nyght smiled, her midnight blue lips turning up at the corners and she waved gently to the spirits that greeted her. She nodded politely and exchanged minor pleasantries, and then her gaze stopped upon Jack Frost.

Jack met her gaze, not that he could have looked away from it if he wanted to. Her eyes were ebony, the iris and the pupil impossible to tell apart, and, when she looked at him, Jack could swear he had seen her somewhere before, from some distant memory far away in the back of his mind. Nyght turned and walked toward him, her gaze unwavering, her eyes never blinking, until she was barely a foot away from him.

From so far away, Jack hadn't noticed how tall she was, but Nyght towered over him. She was six and a half, possibly seven feet tall, and as he looked up at her Jack heard her voice from everywhere around him.

_Hello, Jack Frost…_

Her voice was melodic, like the sounds of nighttime. When she spoke he heard the wind through the trees and the nightingales chorus, the owls serenading and the choir of crickets. He heard the sound of frogs singing together while the willow branches swayed, the reeds as they collided with one another on the shores of the lake… it was a haunting yet peaceful tone.

It also took Jack a moment to realize that she had not moved her lips at all.

"I know you…" Jack whispered. "From somewhere…"

"I would hope so, little one," Nyght smiled, nodding her head with encouragement. "It will come to you in time, I am certain." With that said, the Primearch turned and walked down the steps, joining the rest of her entourage as they made their way to the clearing.

"Oh my," April had her hands near her mouth, and she was biting her fingernails in an attempt to contain something. Excitement? Anxiety? Jack couldn't quite decide.

"Something wrong?" the white-haired boy asked her.

"Dude!" Augustus grinned. "The Primearch just talked to you!"

"So…"

"So that never happens man!" the Autumn spirit's eyes were wide. "They never converse with lower spirits! At least, not until after the conclave."

"They don't even speak to us then," April spoke up, and there was a slight edge to her voice. "The only Primearch who has ever spoken to us is Mother Earth, and that's because she handles our assignments. So why would she talk to you?" The green haired spirit looked at Jack pointedly, her eyes narrowed.

Jack took a step back from the sudden change in April's demeanor. He could see a range of emotions playing in those emerald green eyes. There were flashes of anger and rage, suspicion, intrigue, and… jealousy?

"Look," Jack sighed. "I don't know why she spoke to me. I just know that I've… seen her before." The problem was Jack couldn't remember where. He hadn't felt like this since he first became Jack Frost, when all the Man in the Moon had given him was a Name.

"Hmm…" April looked as if she wanted to say something, but whatever it was got interrupted by the sudden resounding tremors. The Treants were announcing the next arrival.

"The Man in the Moon arrives!"

Instantly, everything about April's jealousy was forgotten. Jack's head whipped around excitedly to gaze up at the sky. Indeed, the moon had risen fully into the sky, which should have been impossible considering only a few minutes ago it had barely peaked above the tree line. Jack assumed that time and space must flow differently in the Hearth, and he felt a sense of affirmation from the air around him as the thought crossed his mind.

The moon looked larger than Jack remembered, as if he were somehow closer to it, seeing it for the first time. The surface was silvery, almost like a mirror, and even though it had craters and deep canyons scarring its surface, the pale celestial globe was undeniably beautiful in its appearance. The pale, lambent beams of moonlight began to glimmer, almost becoming opaque and solid in their appearance as they centralized upon the stone gateway.

Jack had seen this phenomena before, when Manny often gave the Guardians messages or clues about whatever they had been asking him.

Now these rays of light were forming into the figure of a man, a tall man in a crisp, pale suit of moonlight. He looked like a sophisticated gentleman, with slicked-back, well-groomed grey hair and a well-kept, salt and pepper beard. It wasn't a beard like Jack had seen on North or Zeus; no, this beard was short, manicured and distinguished. As the Man in the Moon fully materialized, Jack could see that his angular features, his straight nose and prominent cheek bones, only served to make him even more regal. This man was handsome, poised, refined, and he turned almost instantly and smiled.

The Man in the Moon was smiling at Jack Frost.

Jack was stunned. The Man in the Moon's eyes were just like his, bright blue, like glacial ice, but they were soft, caring, warm, and hidden behind a pair of silver-rimmed, half moon spectacles. The Moon spirit's eyes seemed to sparkle and shine almost as brightly as his smile; he had such radiance that Jack was rooted to the spot, unable to move or think. Which left him a sitting duck, because the Man in the Moon was heading straight for him.

"Erebus Manchester, Man in the Moon, Grandmeister of the Guardians, Guardian of the Twilight, Guardian of all Childhood!"

Why? Why were the Primearchs singling him out? Jack didn't expect to get an answer to this question, so he wasn't surprised when no one explained it to him. If he had taken a moment longer to think about it, Jack would have probably questioned why he was garnering so much attention from Spirits who were obviously older, more powerful, and much more important than himself. He would have probably asked someone why he was an object of fascination, but Jack Frost was too overwhelmed with everything around him to notice this small point of intrigue.

Jack's inner thoughts were silenced; however, when the Man in the Moon reached out placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair playfully. The Moon spirit was taller than Jack, much taller. In fact it seemed like all of the Primearchs were colossal in their height. Jack was forced to crane his next to meet the gentleman's gaze.

"Well met, Jack Frost," the grey haired man smiled down at him, giving a jovial chuckled. "I can't tell you how long I've waited for this moment."

"You?" that statement snapped Jack out of his haze, and he felt old anger surging up as his first response. "You what? Waited? How!? Why!?"

Jack's anger deflated however when he saw the sorrow that played across the face of the Man in the Moon. "Jack," the man said softly, "There are _reasons _I can't explain. Just know… I did what I could."

"Three hundred years," Jack muttered bitterly. He felt like he was talking to an estranged father figure, one who had left him for adoption or something else just as bad.

"In another three hundred years," the Man in the Moon chuckled, "That will not seem like such a long time. Hopefully by then you will have found the answers." With that he turned to leave the gateway, but Jack wasn't ready for their meeting to be over so quickly.

"Wait!" Jack called out. He had to ask that question, the most important question.

"Later, son," the Moon spirit smiled. "I promise."

And then he was gone.

In a shimmer of moonlight, the Man in the Moon vanished. It took Jack a moment to locate him, and when he did Jack was surprised to see that Manny was now standing down in the clearing with his arm interlocked with Solara the sun spirit.

"The Sun and the Moon," Jack muttered. "Makes sense."

"Actually," Augustus hummed, walking up to Jack. "That's a relatively new development."

"Come again?" Jack turned with a questioning glance. He noticed that the gateways was now completely deserted, save for himself, Augustus, and April who was hovering a few yards away. Apparently, they had been polite enough to give Jack some space while he spoke with the Man in the Moon.

"Well, they've only been… together?" Augustus looked to April for confirmation.

The emerald girl sighed and hovered back toward the two boys, "No one really knows what happened, but about a three hundred years ago there was a big commotion in the ranks of the Elder spirits. Erebus became a Primearch, Nyght practically became a recluse, and Solara… well, that happened." April pointed at the obvious displays of affection that were happening between the Sun and Moon spirits.

"Oh," Jack flushed out of embarrassment. "So they _are_ together." He didn't quite no how to absorb all of this new information. Of course, Jack had expected to learn new things about the spirit world, and he had expected to learn things that were shocking. He just hadn't… expected these things to be so down to earth. Spirits apparently loved, and dated, and feuded like everyone else. It was reassuring and frightening all at the same time.

"Second most powerful couple in the spirit world," April nodded.

"And the first?" Jack asked absentmindedly, not really thinking about his question.

"Mother Earth and Father Time, of course," April gave him a look of disbelief.

Jack's embarrassment deepened, and he ducked his head to avoid her gaze. He could have guessed that, but his mind was distracted. He couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Three hundred years ago…

There had been a power shift in the spirit world three hundred years ago. He had been created around that exact same time. Was it coincidence? A nagging feeling in the back of his mind to Jack that there were probably fewer coincidences in life than he was aware of.

"We should be getting down there," April suggested. "Our hosts should be arriving shortly."

* * *

**A/N - **

**Good God! You have no idea how hard it was to make all of these introductions different... and still manage to try and keep this chapter EXCITING! I don't know if I succeeded. You'll have to let me know. Reviews! Yes... yes, I need to know if my time was well spent.**

**This is pretty much all of the characters that I have to introduce. Yes, I know Mother Earth, Father Time... still have to introduce them. I still have a few other little spirits here and there. Sam Hain the halloween spirit and of course a fun little scene with the Leprechaun. Those will show up, but hey, you've pretty much met the family! Yay! Now I can get on with moving the plot forward.**

**So, what did you think? I love Thanatos. He has such a rich amount of history and lore regarding him that I had to really work to make my own version, especially one that fits into the Rise of the Guardians lore. I think, once you get to see him actually speak and interact with people, you're really going to like him. Chapter 15 actually focuses on him, so... look forward to that. Also, you got to see some other major players in the spirit world: Oceana, Solara, Zeus. I don't want to reveal anything, and I have fully decided what roles they will all play, but I wanted to give faces and personalities to people rather than just have a party full of bland spirits. Hopefully you can get a good visual of what things are going to start looking like. At least, I hope so.**

**Review! Let me hear your thoughts. This chapter really is the start of everything. It all builds up towards the climax from here.**


	20. Meet the Family: Part 3

**Ok, so I have decided that since this whole... "new year's" thing is SO FREAKING LONG! I'm just gonna turn it into a multi-chapter affair. So, without further complaints on my part. Here is the final part of Chapter 14. Finally everyone is introduced!**

**Warning: Minor angst. I'm developing Jaime's storyline so that is ties in strongly with the main arch, and that is has pertanence with explaining my grand scheme for the villain. Thus, minor child angst. Nothing big, but there you go.**

* * *

"Is he related to Jack?" Monty asked, the blonde boy pushing his square glasses closer to his eyes as if that would help him get a better look at Rustle.

"Um," Jamie looked toward the blue-haired summer spirit for clarification.

"Not really," Rustle scratched the back of his head. "All spirits are kind of related to one another, but not like you're thinking."

"Is that your real hair color?" Cupcake asked. The large girl had been timidly poking one of the stray locks of Rustle's blue hair for the past few minutes.

"Of course it's my real hair!" he protested.

"Why does his shirt move?" Caleb asked, staring at the indigo clouds that were moving around on Rustle's Hawaiian shirt, and every time a firework would explode on the fabric he would jump back, startled but still laughing.

"My shirt's always done this," Rustle shrugged. He had always assumed that it had something to do with the magic of being a weather spirit, but he'd never actually sought out a reason for it. Just like his birch wand, Rustle had always just accepted his tokens as a part of himself. Weather spirits were unique in their use of extraneous items to enhance their powers, and, for Rustle, his shirt was just another part of who he was.

"That's so cool," Claude breathed, helping his brother up from the ground. Caleb had fallen over after his last shock.

"Didn't I tell you?" Jamie grinned, crossing his arms proudly.

"I almost didn't believe you," Amy said. "It just seemed so far fetched."

Jamie turned to look at the red headed girl with the bob haircut, "Really? You can believe in a six foot tall rabbit that delivers painted eggs, but you had a hard time believing that there was a summer spirit?"

"Yeah," the girl said sadly. "I couldn't see him until Monty and Claude started getting all excited."

"Oh…" Jamie said softly.

"Yeah," the girl nodded, "I've been… having trouble lately."

"Nightmares?" Cupcake asked worriedly. The large girl started looking around the park warily, as if one of the dark creatures might jump out at any moment. Cupcake looked frightening and intimidating, but anyone who got to know her could tell you: she was a softie. Her favorite thing in the world was unicorns, and she wouldn't hurt a fly… at least not on purpose.

"No," Amy looked at the ground. "Not nightmares."

"What is it, Amy?" Jamie put a hand on the girl's shoulder comfortingly. He didn't really talk to her much, after all they'd fought about the Easter Bunny's existence last year.

"I don't know!" the girl growled, jerking her shoulder away from Jamie's touch. "It's just stupid! How can you go around believing in stuff like that when the world is so screwed up?!"

"Because they're real!" Jamie said exasperatedly. "You've seen them!"

"You see them!" Amy countered, "and we trust you, but I don't know! There are better things to spend your time on, Jamie!"

"Like what?" he countered.

"Like school!" the redhead huffed, crossing her arms. "The country's a mess, the economy is collapsing, and people are going to war everyday! Why in the world would you want to waste time on things like this!" she held out a hand to Rustle, with his messy hair and confused look.

The Summer spirit glanced around at the kids, not certain how this had started.

"Amy where did this come from?" Claude asked, taking a step back from the girl.

"My dad," the girl snapped, crossing her arms. "He's in the army, and they called him in for active duty."

"Amy… gosh, I'm sorry," Jamie frowned looking away. "I…"

"Save it," she sneered. "You can be childish if you want to, Jamie Bennett, but some people have to grow up!" With that she walked off, leaving crowd of subdued kids and one severely confused Summer spirit.

"Um," Rustle scuffed his foot over the ground nervously. "Did I do something?"

"No!" Jamie snapped, the anger in his voice was evident.

Rustle looked hurt, but he nodded, "I think I should go anyways."

"No, Rustle…" Jamie sighed exasperatedly. "I didn't mean to-!" But the Summer spirit had already jumped into the trees, vanishing into the night on a gust of warm wind. "Come on!" Jamie kicked the ground, furious with himself and even more so with Amy. Why did she have to ruin everything?

"Maybe Amy has a point, Jamie?" Claude offered. "I mean, you do spend a lot of time with Jack, and now Rustle…"

"What's your point?" Jamie growled. "They're real! You can see them."

"Yeah, I know!" the dark skinned boy held up his hand to stop Jamie from getting any angrier. "But they aren't part of our world, not really. There are some big things happening right now."

"But we're kids!" Jamie felt his jaw drop. "Why should we have to worry about that?"

"You don't worry about it?" Caleb had a look on his face that was either incredulous or impressed; Jamie couldn't tell.

"I mean, Amy obviously worries about her dad." Claude pointed out. "That's big! She can't ignore it."

"I know that," Jamie sighed, "but that doesn't mean we can't believe. You don't change yourself because things get tough."

"Jamie's right," Cupcake nodded, standing behind him like a bodyguard. "That's why Pitch was able to get so strong. We let him change us."

"This isn't Pitch though," Claude's shoulder slumped. "It's real life…"

"Sometimes you have to grow up," Caleb said, sounding almost exactly like Amy.

"Growing up shouldn't mean we have to stop believing," Jamie growled.

"Then how come grown-ups can't see Jack, or Rustle, or any of them?" Claude raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, looking at Jamie to prove him wrong. "No one sees believes in them but kids."

"But…" Jamie looked to Monty for help.

"I don't know," The blond kid sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his shirt sleeve. "Evidence would state that we would stop believing. I've yet to see a grown-up who does."

"We could be different!" Jamie groaned. "We've played with them! We know them!"

"Everyone grows up," Caleb said sadly, pulling his scarf tighter. "Might as well start sooner than later." He motioned for his brother to come on and they both headed home.

"You guys are being stupid!" Jamie shouted. He noticed however that it was getting a lot colder now that Rustle had left, and Jamie had to walk over and grab his coat off the ground. "Stupid," he muttered, kicking a pile of snow into the air.

"Don't worry, Jamie," Cupcake smiled weakly, giving him a gentle punch to the shoulder. "We don't have to grow up completely."

"Yeah!" Month said with false enthusiasm. "It… it could be like an experiment! We could see how long it would take until we… don't…" He trailed off when Jamie shot him a sharp glare.

"I'm never going to stop believing!" Jamie snapped. "Ever!" With that he stormed off into the darkness. He was going to find Rustle, and he was going to apologize for yelling. It wasn't Rustle's fault that Amy had decided to ruin everything. Jamie couldn't help but feel angry at her for being like that. Everyone was supposed to be nice to Rustle, and they were going to play and… now everyone was fighting. As he stormed off into the night, stomping heavily, Jamie couldn't help but feel his irritation toward his friends and their attitudes increase. It was stupid, stupid, stupid!

* * *

Jack had never felt so overwhelmed.

Yes, he'd had the sensation several times already, but this… this was something else entirely. He had never been in the presence of so many spirits at one time, and the effect was positively electrifying.

It was as if he could feel the energy and magic coursing through the air. The moment he had stepped into the clearing, Jack had felt vitalized… practically rejuvenated, and he hadn't even realized how tired he was. It wasn't long before he'd been pulled into a game with several nature spirits. These pixies all had heard he was a stellar aim with a snow ball, so what did that mean? Why a game of tag! The catch? You had to hit your opponents with an acorn! The acorns would literally explode on contact, wrapping the person up in a bundle of vines and leaves, and you were stuck until another of your teammates came to rescue you.

Jack had barely finished that game before he was challenged to a race by several of the flying spirits. It was here that Jack was able to meet Sam Hain, the spirit of Halloween. He was a boy with pale skin, long dark hair that was impossibly straight, and dark blue eyeliner; he wore a black leather vest over and orange and black striped shirt, which seemed practically glued to his skin. Sam also worse black cargo pants and a pair of bright red, leather boots. Chains hung from his belt loops, and his ears were pierced a long with several studs in his eyebrows.

Jack had a feeling that this kid might have invented the punk-goth-emo look. Except that he wasn't a kid; he was quite old, the same age as many of the Elder spirits, except, as Sam put it, he was too young at heart to sit around telling people how awesome he was.

The race was a speedy affair that ranged up to the top of a mountain, around the house of Mother Earth, to the stone gateway, and then back down to the clearing. Jack had never had so much fun in his life. Cupid of course came out as the winner. That angel was able to fly faster than Jack had though possible, although Sam Hain had enough tricks up his sleeve that he came in second. Toothiana came in third, Sandy came in fourth, and Jack managed to tie Augustus for Fifth. The rest of the spirits had given up and joined as spectators, and everyone was cheering and rooting for the ones who finished.

Jack spotted the Groundhog, and he threw her a wave. Asteria smiled and winked at him before she was blocked from his vision by a mob of spirits who surged forth to give their opinions of how the race turned out.

A massive arm came out of nowhere, and Jack felt himself pinned up against a wall of iron muscle. Looking to his side, Jack could see the thunderous eyes of Zeus. The large bearded man let out a booming chuckle, "What a show, Jack Frost! Who knew you could maneuver the skies so well?!"

"Um, thank you?" Jack grinned back.

The large spirit clapped him on the back, laughing and walking over to congratulate Cupid on his victory.

"You're pretty good!" Augustus smiled, his orange hair bouncing this-way-and-that as he bobbed and weaved through the crowd of spirits. Most had started to disperse back into the groups, but several still mingled about, caught up in conversations or debates about flying techniques.

"I'm alright," Jack chuckled. "Still lost though." He frowned at this admission. Jack had always felt like he was competent at flying, in fact he had held his own with Toothiana on many occasions. Come to think of it, Tooth pulled out some impressive moves in the flying competition. Jack made a note to ask her for pointers later.

"I always lose," the Autumn spirit shrugged. "It's still fun!"

"Definitely!"

"Hey! I've got to find April. We're supposed to let Mother Earth know when everyone is here… and seeing as how we got distracted," Augustus blushed, completely embarrassed, and he darted off towards where Jack assumed April would be.

"Oy, laddie!" a voice called out to him. "Y' weren't thinking' of ignorin' me were ye?"

Jack looked down to see a short man in an emerald green vest, black pants and shirt, a pair of shamrock patterned, knee-high socks, and a pair of brightly shining black shoes with golden buckles on them. The man was barely a foot and a half tall, and he had the brightest orange hair and beard that Jack had ever remembered seeing.

"Leprechaun! How are you?" Jack crouched down to eye level with the tiny mischief maker.

"I'm still trickin' drunken Irishmen into thinkin' they get three wishes if they kin catch me," the man chortled, "So I can't be complainin'!"

"Anyone manage to catch you this decade?"

"Not on their granny's panties, boyo!" the Leprechaun slapped his knee and then hopped up onto Jack's shoulder. "Now, why don't you steer yourself over to the bar, and you an' I can rustle up a few pints?"

"Sure," Jack shrugged, nearly causing the minute Irish spirit to fall off. "I heard Bunnymund say he was going to be in that area."

"Great scots!" the Leprechaun jumped onto Jack's head and held a hand over his eyes as if he were surveying the ocean and looking for land. "I haven't seen that rascal in over twenty years! He still a pain in gilded lilies?"

"Hasn't changed much," Jack laughed. But he stopped himself mid-chuckle.

Bunny had actually changed quite a bit in the past year. Yes, the rabbit was still annoying, arrogant, and self-absorbed, but as far as Jack was concerned Bunnymund had become a much easier person to get along with. Besides, a year ago Bunnymund would have never apologized for ignoring someone, yet today Jack had witnessed the Easter Spirit give an earnest apology to April and Augustus.

"You alright there lad?" the Leprechaun peered over the top of Jack's head, looking the white-haired boy in the eyes.

"Yeah," Jack reassured. "I guess Cottontail isn't as bad as he used to be."

"Oh, really!?" the Leprechaun barked out a harsh laugh. "Now that's something I gotta see!"

They arrived at the bar to find Dionysus surrounded by a group of spirits who were completely enthralled by whatever story the portly wine master was telling. Several of the dark, wisp-like spirits from the Contingent of Nyght were seated at the bar, drinking and talking amongst themselves. They looked like women made of shadows and dark clouds, but despite their ominous appearance, they actually seemed to be good natured, laughing and smiling like everyone else.

Jack spotted Bunnymund down at the end of the bar. He was in the seat closest to the bartender, who turned out to be a rather impish looking Treant, more like a bush than a tree. It was serving the patrons of the open bar with surprising speed and agility, and Jack decided that it must be proof that you couldn't judge something based upon its appearance.

Noticing Jack's arrival, Bunnymund's ears perked up, and he waved emphatically for the boy to come in his direction, "Frostbite! I heard you've been initiated!"

"Initiated?" Jack grinned, hopping onto a barstool next to Bunny.

"The race! They have one every year. Last year it was a sprint."

"Who won?"

"Who d'ya think, mate?" Bunny raised his eyebrow and gave Jack a cockeyed grin.

"The Groundhog?" Jack asked mischievously.

"Psh! Don't make me laugh," Bunny grabbed hold of his mug, which looked like a hollowed out pieces of bark with a handle. The rabbit drained it's contents and slammed it onto the bartop. 'Oy! 'Nother round for Frosty, and his pintsized friend here."

"Watch yerself ye bonnie wee bunny," the Leprechaun rolled up his sleeves and hopped onto the bar. "Otherwise I'll be teaching ye the same lesson I taught ye back in Ireland. When was that?"

"1891," Bunny frowned. "You turned my fur into shamrocks!"

"Aye," the little Irish spirit wagged a finger warningly, "and I'll do it again."

"No need," Bunny grinned as the bartended appeared with three mugs. "Drinks are on me, my apology."

The Leprechaun picked up his mug, which was smaller than Bunny's or Jack's, and hoisted it to his lips. After taking a deep gulp, he wiped his mouth and sighed with delight, "Now that's the ticket!"

"What is it?" Jack eyed his mug warily.

"Hot cider," Bunny shrugged. "It has a bit of a kick to it, but all in all it goes down smooth."

Figuring he couldn't hurt himself by trying it, Jack tilted the mug bad and swallowed. The liquid hit the back of his throat like fire. It was warm, but it also stung the entire way down until it hit his stomach; then the feeling was an almost an instantaneous eruption of heat through his entire body. It flared all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes, making Jack's head spin. Jack had to set the mug down, gripping the bar to steady himself as the world tried to spin.

"Whoa! Jack, you alright mate?" Bunny was up on his feat in an instant. Jack's cheeks were flushed, and it wasn't their normal purple hue. He looked like he was running a fever.

"It's hot," Jack gasped, holding his stomach. "Too hot."

"Damn!" Bunny swore, setting his own mug down and waving the bartender over, 'We need ice water! Hurry it up will ya!?"

It took far too long for the damn bush to come up with a glass of ice water, but the moment the Treant finished making it, Bunny snatched it up and unceremoniously poured the entire contents down Jack's throat. The winter spirit coughed and sputtered, most of the water splashing on his face and neck, but he managed to swallow some of it. Bunny then took some of the ice cubes and placed them on Jack's forehead, trying another method to cool the spirit down.

"I'm alright," Jack said weakly, but he still managed to put a smirk on his lips. Bunny always did worry too much. "Seriously!" he took the ice cubes out of Bunny's paws and swallowed them whole. "See, much better."

"Crikey, Frost! You scared me to death!" Bunny flopped back onto his stool looking exhausted.

"Sorry," Jack breathed, he could feel his skin cooling off again, which brought about a sense of relief.

"I shoulda known better," Bunny sighed, running a paw over his head. "You and hot things don't mix well. You'd have been better off with a frozen margarita or something."

There was a short, loud sound that erupted between Jack and Bunnymund at that point. Neither of them quite know what it was, but they both looked down at the same time to see the Leprechaun nearly choking on his own glass of cider, apparently attacked by a fit of giggles.

"You alright there you pint sized bugger?" Bunnymund asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, aye!" the Leprechaun chuckled. "I just thought you looked like a right mother hen! Fussing over the wee snow spirit like he were a precious babe!" The Leprechaun mimed cradling a baby before he doubled over with laughter.

"Alright, that's it! I'm gonna do to you what I did back in '41!"

"No you don't laddie!" The Leprechaun was up on his feet and holding out his fists as if he were ready to start fighting with Queensbury rules.

"What did you do to him in '41?" Jack asked with a bemused grin.

"Kicked him like a football," Bunnymund smirked, "...a British football."

"You mean soccer?" Jack laughed.

"Oh! Now them there's fightin' words!" The Leprechaun stamped his foot and turned to face Jack.

"Give Frost a break, mate," Bunny sighed, picking up the Leprechaun by his head. "Beside… it's me ya gotta worry about."

"Hey! Rabbit! Put me down!" The Leprechaun squirmed, but he couldn't escape. Bunny reared back his foot and gave the deminuitive Irish icon a swift kick into the nearby bushes.

"Goal!" Bunny cheered, holding up both paws like a referee.

"Nice!" Jack laughed. "I suppose I'm supposed to thank you for defending my honor, or something?"

"That's about how it works," Bunny winked.

"Well, seeing as you just tried to kill me with a glass of firewater," Jack smirked. "We'll call it even."

"Fair 'nough," Bunny shrugged, deciding he would take small victories when he could get them. After all, how many times had he and Jack ended up fighting over something like this? Bunny rather liked the way their friendship had become amiable over the last few months.

A loud chime snapped Aster out of his thoughts, and he turned his gaze towards the main entrance of the Hearth. "Well, looks like it's that time."

"What time?" Jack spun around on his stool excitedly.

"For the guests of honor, mate," Bunny pointed towards the entrance. "They're here."

Jack's eyes turned to face where the Easter spirit indicated. While the main party had been set up in the large clearing, the Hearth was actually a enormous mansion that towered over the large table and gathered spirits. The mansion was a house built around a giant tree, with massive boughs with branches that stretched for hundreds of feet and leaves that were as large as kites. The tree grew up between several mountains that had been chiseled and fashioned into domed structures, sweeping parapets, and soaring towers. These mountains were covered with glistening windows, arching domes that were encrusted with jewels and firefly lanterns, and plants of every variety and color grew all over them.

This was by far the most magnificent structure Jack had ever seen. He'd been to the Warren, the Tooth Palace, and the North Pole, and, while they were all spectacles in their own right, they couldn't hold a candle to this place. The Hearth seemed to radiate strength and majesty. Even though Jack had never been here before in his life, he felt like he'd come home.

The strange chime range out a second time, a resonating and melodic note that reverberated through the clearing. Jack felt a strange tingling sensation throughout his body, as if the harmonics were vibrating in the core of his being. The feeling was so foreign; Jack couldn't help but laugh as if he were being tickled. When the sound rang out for the third time, the massive oaken doors of the Hearth swung open to reveal a soft cascade of light, and in the center of the opening, silhouetted by the warm glow, emerged two figures walking arm in arm.

Mother Earth was resplendent, dressed in a gown of earthy loam and brilliant flora. Her hair was long wavy tresses of deep brown, like cocoa beans, that fell around her shoulders and ran down to the middle of her back. Some of them were braided with vines and flowers, while the rest hung loose with leaves and berries ornamenting her face, and sticks of cinnamon and twigs of hazel sat around her head like a crown. The dress, while it looked to be made of fresh soil, with flowers and grass billowing out around her like a ball gown, also had a sash of pure, running water like a mountain stream that seemed for continually flow around her body, always flowing but never getting anything wet.

The man who escorted her looked to be in his mid-forties. He had black hair that was streaked with grey, and it was swept back, slicked down with a pomade or some kind of gel. He looked fatherly, with kind features and a soft smile, but he also had a spark of mischief in his eyes: one of which was silver and the other was pure gold. It would have been unsettling if the man didn't look so genuinely happy.

Jack didn't know how other people were viewing Father Time, but to the winter spirit this man looked like the father figure he had never had. Father Time wore a simple black suit with a blue shirt, and he had a bow tie with little hourglasses on it. He had right arm crooked and used it to escort Mother Earth, while in his left hand he had a formal cane, a piece of polished silver shaped like the hands of a clock.

The pair stopped at the top of the stairs, looking down at the clearing and waving to their guests.

All of the gathered spirits began applauding, some even cheering, as the newly arrived couple came into view, and Jack couldn't help but join in, jumping to his feet to get a better view.

He saw that The Man in the Moon and Nyght had separated themselves from the crowd at this point, both the Moon spirit and the Lady of Twilight had started to ascend the steps to stand on either side of two newly arrived Primearchs. Nyght stood next to Mother Earth and Manny stood next to Father Time.

Mother Earth placed a quick kiss on Father Time's cheek, then she took her arm out of his and stepped forward, holding her hands up for silence, "My friends! Thank you all for coming. The Hearth is open to you all, and I encourage you to explore! Enjoy the amenities we have to offer, and I cannot wait to speak with you all at dinner. Your presence is ever an honor in my humble home!"

There was another round of applause, and then the Primearchs all turned to greet one another. Jack couldn't hear what they were saying, but Mother Earth and Nyght embraced one another like old friends. The two of them walking into the Hearth and talking silently between themselves. On the other hand Father Time and Manny barely exchanged more than a few words, shaking hands and then silently following their female counterparts.

"Odd," Jack muttered to himself.

"Not really," Bunny commented.

Jack nearly jumped from shock. He hadn't realized that the Easter Spirit had walked up beside him. "What do you mean?"

"Mother Earth and Nyght are good friends," Bunny explained. "Nyght and Manny have been at odds with each other for centuries. It isn't hard to guess whose side Mother Earth took."

"So Father Time just goes along with it…?" Jack frowned.

"You mean he went along with his wife?" Bunny chuckled. "Mother Earth's not someone you want to get on the bad side of."

Something about it just seemed wrong. How could the four most powerful spirits, who were apparently going to decide the fate of the world, do their job properly if they were feuding among themselves.

"Don't worry," Bunnymund had a knowing look in eyes as he watched Jack's face scrunch up in concern. "They know what their doing."

"Yeah," the Winter spirit muttered. "So what now?"

"We mingle," Bunny laughed. "Once the Conclave is over, then we get to eat!"

Jack watched as many of the spirits went back to doing what they had been, while others began to ascend the stairs towards the entrance of the Hearth. "I'm not really feeling hungry," he finally confessed. There were too many things on his mind to worry about food. Besides, spirits didn't have to eat.

"It's more of an opportunity for conversation." Bunny scratched behind one of his ears, sighing contentedly once he'd managed to get rid of the annoying itch. "The Primearchs don't have many opportunities to converse with spirits like us."

"Why not?" Jack felt it was a valid question. He had always been confused about why the spirits kept to themselves. Even the Guardians had kept to themselves, only meeting up to deal with dire threats like Pitch Black. Now that Jack was a member things had started to change, and Jack felt that they had changed for the better. It was always a good thing when they all got together. So why was the spirit world so fragmented?

"That's a question I can't answer," Bunny sighed. "Things have been this way for longer than I can remember."

"Jack! Bunny!"

The two spirits turned as their names were called, and they saw Toothiana flying towards them with Cupid in tow. The Tooth Fairy was looking positively radiant, smiling from ear-to-ear as she fluttered up to them.

"North was looking for you, Jack!" she said as she got closer.

"Really? What did he want?"

"He wanted to see if you would check out the library," Tooth explained. "He managed to get an audience with the Primearchs during the conclave, so he won't be able to."

"North got an audience?" Bunny asked with disbelief.

"Yes!" Tooth's whole body shook with excitement. "Apparently Mother Earth is really concerned. She didn't even put it to a vote!"

"That's almost unheard of," Cupid chuckled, "What have you Guardians gotten yourselves into?"

"Nothing important, mate," Bunny shrugged. "Wouldn't want you to worry your pretty head about it."

"I'm certain," the angel smiled. It was an honest enough expression, but something in his eyes said that Cupid was thinking something quite devilish as he looked at the Easter Bunny.

"Well if North wants me to find the library," Jack shrugged. "I might as well get started."

"Through the entrance, take the corridor on your left," Cupid offered. "You can't miss it! Oh, and do hurry back Jack Frost!"

"Um, why?" the Winter spirit raised an eyebrow.

"Because you cause Bunnymund here to give off the most delightful aura when you stand next to him!" the spirit of Love grinned.

"What the blazes are you talking about?" Bunny growled, reaching across his shoulder to grab one of his boomerangs.

Cupid just chuckled. "Now, now! I only meant that the two of you were amusing, that's all."

"I'm nobody's amusement, bucko!" the Easter spirit held the point of his wooden weapon underneath Cupid's chin menacingly.

The angel looked at the boomerang with his eyebrows raised, but the smirk never left his features. "Ah, yes," Cupid brought up a hand and pushed the weapon away tentatively, as if he didn't want to break a nail on his well-manicured fingers. "Perhaps you're right?"

Jack shook his head at the two of them and turned to leave, "I'll see you all later. Tooth, make certain Bunny doesn't do anything stupid."

"Oy! Frostbite! I resent that," Bunny hopped up and stamped his feet in protest.

"Prove me wrong!" Jack challenged. He shot a smirk towards the Easter spirit before sprinting off towards the stairs. Jack ran up them, taking them in leaps of three or four at a time before he vanished through the large doorway.

Bunny holstered his weapon with a sigh and walked back over to the bar to order another pint. He was annoyed when he saw that Toothiana and Cupid decided to join him. "Can't a fella drink in peace?"

"Bunny," Tooth said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Cupid's telling the truth isn't he?"

"What?" he scoffed looking at her like she was mad. "Are you out of your bloody mind?!"

"Well," Tooth giggled. "Sandy and I have talked about it before. He seems to think the same thing. I thought, maybe… but come on! It's Jack! The two of you never get along…" She paused when a look of anger and pain flashed across Bunnymund's eyes.

"Oh, Bunny…" she whispered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's alright, shelia," the Easter spirit shrugged. "Nothing to worry about."

"Please," Cupid had a disparaging look on his face, which was difficult to accomplish considering he was now holding a hot pink martini with an umbrella in it. "You're practically radiating. Think nuclear!"

"I'm not gonna tell ya again, buddy," Bunny slammed his mug down. "Keep your nose out of where it don't belong."

"Fine. Fine…" Cupid took a sip of his drink. "But aren't you just dying to know if the little snow sprite feels the same way?" The angel wiggled his eyes brows at Bunnymund suggestively.

"He doesn't!"

"Are you certain?" Cupid smirked.

"Does he?"

"But you seemed so sure a second ago," the angel mocked.

"I'm not playing these game," Bunnymund hunched over the bar, trying to ignore the obnoxious angel next to him.

Cupid started chuckling at the Easter spirit's reaction, but he quickly went quiet when Toothiana shot him a pointed glare. Letting out a sigh, Cupid set his drink down. "Tell you what," the angel offered. "You asked me one question, and I'll give one answer. Completely honest, no tricks… no games."

Bunny glanced up suspiciously, "Why?"

Cupid leaned his elbow on the bar top, using his hand to support his head as he relaxed, "Because I'm a fool for a good love story."

It took Aster a second to contemplate Cupid's offer. The information could be damning, or it could be everything he ever wanted to hear… and that was the problem. It was like opening Pandora's box. There were horrible, potentially destructive things inside, but there was also hope.

"Fine," Bunny sighed. "Does… does Jack feel the same way as I do?"

"No," Cupid said flatly.

Bunny's ears drooped in disappointment, and he felt a profound sense of despair and dejection settle over his heart. He shouldn't have asked the question; after all, he had already known the answer. He had played directly into Cupid's stupid little game, and now Bunny felt his soul ache... and for what reason? He was just the amusement of an arrogant Love spirit.

"But…" Cupid continued. "He _could_. The feelings are definitely there, or at least the _potential_ is there."

"What?" Bunny opened his eyes, looking at the angelic being beside him as if he were speaking a foreign language.

"Right now, Jack Frost has feelings for someone else," Cupid explained, speaking very slowly. He even adopted a facial expression one might use when speaking to someone who was below average intelligence. "... however, there is a compassion his his heart for you as well. I've seen much weaker feelings turn into much stronger love… so the potential is there."

"Then…" Bunny grinned sheepishly. "I have a chance."

"Of course!" Cupid slapped the Easter spirit on the back encouragingly. "It's called the Game of Love for a reason, _mate_!"

"Don't." Bunny's face went stern. "Don't ever do that again."

"Right," Cupid looked apologetic, picking up his martini and drinking it to avoid eye contact. "Won't happen again." The angel seemed to be completely preoccupied with his drink when he suddenly spoke again, "Hey, Toothiana! What do you make when you cross a monkey with a bunny?"

"Um…" the Tooth Fairy looked warily between Cupid and Bunnymund. "I don't know."

"Munnies!" the angel giggled. "You make munnies and get rich! Oh! I kill myself some times."

Tooth did her best to suppress laughter as she watched Bunny attempt to catch Cupid, but the angel was too quick. Cupid flew off with chuckle as the rabbit shouted a string of Australian curses and threats after him. As she watched Bunny, Toothiana couldn't help but notice, even though he appeared angry, there was a smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N - **

**And there we have it. Hopefully you enjoyed my imaginations for all of the different spirits. I love how they look in my head, but I don't know if they look cool to the rest of you. Some people have been VERY supportive of Rustle and the other spirits I've created, so thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement! My readers are the best! Review and let me know who your favorite spirit is!**

**Hopefully you didn't mind that I ended this on a slightly silly note. I just feel that Cupid is a bit of an all around flirtatous spirit, so I wanted him to be this very bombast, explosive personality. I figure he would have a joke like that up his sleeve. He can't stand serious drama; after all he's a romantic comedy type of guy.**

**Also, I know people are gonna read this and be like... Aww! Poor Bunny! Alas, that is life. There are many circumstances of unrequited love, and there are many circumstances that things between two people could change. The way I see it right now, and the way the character are moving. This is the state of our love triangle. As much as Cupid was giving Bunny the low-down on Jack's feelings, I kind of wanted to inform the readers as well. *hides behind laptop* Don't hate me!**


	21. A Conversation with Death: Part 1

**Alright! This is a chapter I have been waiting to write for... literally since I started this story. It's heavy on the exposition, but hopefully the information is enough to keep you entertained.**

**Warning: angst, yes, I know. I been doing this a lot. Hey! Jack has issues! People in this story have issues! You try writing a conversation with Death that doesn't have angst! :P**

**Disclaimer: This story is funded by your Reviews. Thank you for contributing.**

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**Chapter 15**

If Jack thought the exterior of the Hearth was impressive, then it was nothing compared to what he found on the inside. The rooms were massive, carved out of stone and bored out of the earth. Massive, curling roots that supported ceilings like columns were covered in glowing mosaics painted with luminescent lichen. There were statues of spirits and pictorials representing mythological or geographical scenes. Jack saw images depicting the creation of the world, how the continents had shifted over the centuries, how trees and animals had changed. There were even murals that showed intricate portrayals of famous spirits and their births.

There was a glittery, wall sized diorama that showed a woman rising up from the earth, completely made of water. From this woman poured streams and rivers which then turned into the seas and oceans. Jack assumed he was viewing the birth of Oceana. Someone had intricately grown sapphires and turquoise veins into the stone, because the picture looked practically alive, the image nearly leaping from the stone.

Further down the corridor was an image created from veins of silver and diamond. It showed a thunderbolt striking the tip of a mountain. From the explosion there were clouds and birds, eagles soared among the electric bolts that radiated out from the original. In the center of everything stood a large, imposing man with a long white beard. He seemed to be grasping the lightning bolt, trying to contain it and form it to his will. There were beads of sweat upon his brow, and the muscles on his arms were rippling from the effort.

"Zeus," Jack reached up a hand to brush the glittering gems that formed the portrait. He could practically feel the electrifying energy that pulsed within them.

"_Old age should burn and rave at close of day_…"

Jack turned as he heard a strange voice echoing through the hall; it was soft like a whisper but the sound traveled through the passage crisp and clear, almost alluring. The words were something Jack had never heard before, but he thought that it could be a song or a poem considering the musical quality in the words. Turning from the artwork he had been admiring, the Winter spirit followed the voice deeper into the Hearth.

"_Rage, rage against the dying of the light!_"

The voice grew in volume, punctuating each word with clarity and grace; Jack couldn't believe that words could hold such power or dignity. Whoever was speaking had powerful command of the language and the emotion, their words resounding through the corridor. Jack could tell he was getting closer because the words were louder than the whisper he had heard before.

"_Though wise men at their end know dark is right_…"

He came to the end of the corridor and found a massive pair of silver doors, wrought out of pure chunks of the metal. Emblazoned upon their front was the image of a woman with a blindfold, in one hand she held an open book and in the other she held a sword. Jack didn't know who she was but he understood her purpose: she was a Guard, protecting what lay beyond the doors. Reaching up a tentative hand, Jack pushed the doors open and discovered what lay beyond.

It was the library of Mother Earth.

There were books upon books, piled on shelves and tables and cabinets. The room was a giant rotunda, several stories high with multiple tiers. Balconies with glistening rails of polished brass revealed that there were more books above him, reaching up beyond where he could see.

Above Jack was a high arched dome that glistened as if made of starlight, and the white haired boy couldn't suppress a cry of excitement when he realized that the ceiling was actually the largest geode he had ever seen. It had to be several hundred yards in diameter, and it had rubies and sapphires and diamonds and amethysts; gemstones of all colors and hues enshrouded the ceiling casting different colored beams of light all around the room. The largest beam, one of pure white, fell upon the center of the room, highlighting a large silver podium which could be used to hold whatever book a person desired to read.

Jack froze in his tracks when he saw the individual who was standing there.

Large black wings unfurled, spanning wide across the central platform to reveal Thanatos, his mercurial eyes riveted to the black bound book in his hands. The Spirit of Death had yet to notice Jack's presence as he continued to read, "_For their words had forked no lightning_…"

Jack backed up, trying to leave the library before he had to lock eyes upon the Grim Reaper. The Winter spirit could feel his heart pounding in his chest, anxiety flaring as memories threatened to creep up out of the box that Jack tried so desperately to keep a lid on. He unwittingly back up into a table of books, knocking one to the floor. The resulting fall echoed through the chamber, the clamor ringing off the walls much louder than Jack could have thought possible.

Thanatos looked up from his book, but he didn't stop speaking, as if he knew the poem by heart, "Do not go gently into that good night."

Ice blue eyes stared directly into the shimmering silver orbs of Death, and Jack was immediately swept away under a torrent of dark reflections.

He felt like he was drowning, again. Jack's breath caught in his throat, and he staggered back against the table, clutching his chest. Throwing out his other arm to steady himself, Jack heard his staff clatter to the floor but it sounded so far away, like hearing the noise underwater, and, for all intents and purposes, Jack was. He was right back in the frozen lake, unable to breath or move. The water bit into his skin like icy needles, chilling him to the core. He shouldn't have been affected by the cold; he was Jack Frost for crying out loud!

Still the water pressed in, smothering him and filling his lungs!

"Death is not something to be feared, little one..."

Jack felt a pair of strong hands upon his shoulders, and his mind suddenly snapped back to reality. He took in air in ragged gulps, thankful to be able to breathe once again. Jack became acutely aware of how close Thanatos was to him. The spirit of Death was inches from his face, staring at him with those dangerous eyes.

He diverted his gaze, not willing to go back to that dark lake again.

"Jack Frost, isn't it?" Thanatos asked quietly. His voice was soft and rhythmic, somehow capable of creating a sense of serenity.

"Yes," he replied, still not willing to look the other spirit in the face.

"Are you alright to stand on your own?" Thanatos still had Jack by the shoulders, and the Winter spirit could feel the strength in those hands. Jack was amazed at how gentle such a creature as Death could be.

"Uh," Jack faltered looking around to gain his bearings. "Yeah, I… I should be fine."

The dark winged man nodded. His hands dropped from Jack's shoulders, and he took a step away, bending down to grab the Winter spirit's staff from where it had landed on the floor. "I believe this is yours."

"Thank you," Jack eagerly took back his possession, grateful for the smooth, familiar feeling of the wood. Holding onto it helped him to feel grounded, and Jack was able to calm down.

"You do not need to continue averting your gaze," Thanatos said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I can control my powers with others present."

"Sorry," Jack said sheepishly. "That's just… the second time it's happened."

"Forgive me," Death gave a small bow. "It's just that your presence has managed to catch me off guard the same number of times."

"Really?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid so," Thanatos chuckled, walking back to the silver podium. With each step his took, his massive black wings swayed behind him in an almost alluring manner.

"Why?"

"I… cannot say."

"Why not!?" Jack asked in exasperation. So many people were telling him that they couldn't explain things, and he was tired of it.

"It is not that I am unwilling, Jack Frost," Thanatos smiled. "I just _cannot_ explain why you have managed to get the drop on me twice now. Lightning is more predictable than you are."

"Oh," Jack scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed of his outburst.

"Nothing to apologize for," Death dismissed. He placed the book back upon a shelf near the podium and then turned to look at Jack with a scrutinizing gaze. "I would assume that you have many questions."

"I do!" Jack sighed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "It's like all I have are questions these days!"

"Then ask."

"Excuse me?" Jack froze, looking at Thanatos like he had grown a second head.

"Ask your questions, Jack Frost," Death regarded him with a nod. "I will answer."

"Um…" for the first time that evening Jack was at a loss for words. "What were you reading?"

Thanatos raised his eyebrows in surprise, obviously not expecting that to have been the first question. After a few moments of thought, the spirit picked up the black leather book again. "Dylan Thomas," pale lips quirked up into a nostalgic smile, "A visionary, even if his muse left something to be desired."

"I don't understand," Jack confessed.

"So many people fear Death," Thanatos sighed. "They cling to what is comforting, what they have always known… but there is no mystery in the commonplace."

"You mentioned his muse?"

"Lyght," Thanatos said with a look of distaste, "Or Solara as she calls herself these days. It is funny… normally my mistress is the source of inspiration for art and literature."

"Really?" Jack's eyes widened. "I never would have guessed that Nyght would be a muse." He leaned forward on his staff to hear more.

"And why not?" Dark eyebrows raised; Thanatos looked at Jack with perplexity, obviously confused as to why the boy couldn't see what was obvious. "The darkness holds everything that is unknown. The questions, the mystery, the uncertainty? They do not come from what you can see in the light, but what lies unseen before you, enshadowed and obscured. The future is shrouded in darkness. To cling desperately to a dying light is the act of an individual afraid of change."

"Some people find being able to _see_ comforting," Jack offered.

"Comforting, yes," Thanatos conceded, "But not inspiring." He set the book down and went to lean against a nearby table, continuing to observe Jack with that unblinking gaze.

Shifting uncomfortably, Jack searched for another question. "You're not what I expected…"

"And what were you expecting?" Thanatos mused. "A dark hood and a long scythe?" His large black wings moved to shroud his face in darkness, and out of nowhere appeared a large, black crescent blade that twinkled in the light from the gems above. With a soft, fluttery laugh, Thanatos tucked his wings behind him again and the weapon vanished, "Things of legend, I'm afraid. No, I prefer to make death as peaceful and painless as I can. It is not something to be feared, but embraced."

The spirit of Death looked down at the ground forlornly, "All things come to an end."

"How long?" Jack asked quietly.

"Pardon?"

"Have you been…" Jack struggled for the right words, waving his hand anxiously as he searched for them. "Been doing… _this_?"

Thanatos pondered the question, "Since the need for endings became recognized. Without an end, life has little meaning or purpose."

"Who recognized the need?" Jack frowned, wondering who would have a mind that would think up a concept as macabre as death.

"Nyght," Thanatos said simply.

Jack didn't know what to say. He was reminded of the conversation in North's Workshop, when Bunny had told him that all Twilight spirits eventually went bad. Death was apparently a Twilight spirit, and he didn't seem like such a terrible person. Frightening and unsettling, yes, but bad? Jack didn't get that impression.

"You were created by Nyght?"

Thanatos nodded. "I was the first spirit she ever created, and I have served her faithfully ever since."

"I was told," Jack paused, afraid that his question might anger the spirit of Death, but his desire for answers proved to be stronger than his fear. "I was told that her spirits had a tendency to… go wrong."

"I see…" Death let out a long sigh, and for a long time he said nothing; rather, Thanatos just kept staring, as if he were trying to find something in Jack that couldn't be seen easily.

"That is not an easy question to answer, Jack Frost."

"Just… Jack," the Winter spirit responded, getting tired of the formality.

"Jack," The way Thanatos said the word, it sounded almost as if he were playing with it, experimenting with how it sounded. "Your question does not have a simple answer."

Death placed both of his hands on the table and leaned even further back, for the first time taking his eyes off of Jack. He stared up at the ceiling as he spoke, "The creation of a spirit requires… sacrifice."

"I know," Jack frowned. "Someone has to die."

"Yes," Thanatos nodded. "Death is a part of creation."

Sudden realization hit Jack. If a person had to die to create a spirit, and Thanatos was created in order to bring about death…

"You were the first spirit," Jack breathed, "You were the first person to die."

"Indeed," Thanatos smirked, impressed with Jack's insight. "Unlike myself and the other spirits, the Primearchs came into being simply because there was magic in the universe, and a need for them existed. They are the source of everything, but one cannot create something from nothing."

"My lady approached me while I slept," the pale man's eyes glazed over as he remembered, turning into a smoky color of milky grey. "She explained to me her belief that life without end was no life at all."

"But," Jack frowned, "She has lived for thousands of years…"

"Longer even than that," Thanatos' eyes looked sad. "Who better to understand? I was created out of a specific need, Jack. Every spirit since has been created to fulfill a need. That is the key. Great sacrifice… great need."

"I don't understand how that explains the Twilight spirits," Jack pressed.

"Some needs are greater than others," Thanatos continued. "Rain, wind, hope, wisdom… all of these things are important, but they are also enjoyed. Death? Fear? Tragedy? These are not emotions or events that people desire. Still, they are a sad, but _necessary_, part of life. Nyght recognizes these needs better than any other Primearch.

"The spirits she created were ones to fill the needs that the others seemed fit to ignore," Thanatos looked at Jack, wanting to make certain that he was paying attention. "Spirits who dealt with dark and dangerous emotions, spirits who were supposed to help ease suffering and pain. Being _that _kind of spirit is not an easy task. It treads deep, unrewarding territory where there is little recognition, only fear."

Thanatos ran a hand through his hair, tucking strands of it behind his ear. "It is difficult for spirits like that to do their jobs without fading away. They get consumed with resentment, anger… fear. In turn they resort to creating those feelings in the ones they are supposed to protect."

"Is that what happened with Pitch?" Jack wondered.

"Pitch Black," Thanatos frowned, "The Boogeyman. Yes, I had heard he degenerated into terrorizing children. Sad really, his job was so important."

"Why?" Jack gripped his staff tightly, trying to understand why a spirit would turn out like that. "Why do they get jobs like that, if they can't handle it?"

With a small shrug, Thanatos offered up an explanation, "Perhaps it is a coping mechanism, or they simply weren't strong enough to perform the task they accepted… but they don't all go bad. Nyght recognizes strength in people just as well as she recognizes their needs."

"You said that the Primearchs have always existed," Jack's brow creased as he tried to puzzle through something, "but earlier I was told that Manny only became a Primearch recently."

"Manny…?" Thanatos looked confused for a moment, then his eyes widened in understanding and then he chuckled in amusement. "I see. You are referring to Erebus."

Jack nodded, "We call him Manny. I've never… _met _him before today. I didn't know his name."

Thanatos was quiet. He stood immobile, studying Jack for so long that the silence began to grow unnerving. Jack even wondered if he was supposed to say something, afraid he may not have been heard, but the Spirit of Death finally spoke. "You ask difficult questions," he sighed.

"I'm sorry?" Jack didn't know if he should apologize or not. Was it his fault that everything didn't make sense.

"You understand that it is not my place to speak of certain matters, yes?" Thanatos studied Jack for understanding, and, while the boy didn't get a chance to respond, Death seemed to find what he was looking for. "When I was created, several spirits already existed. Mother Earth, Father Time, Solara, Nyght… and Erebus."

"So, all of these spirits are the same age?"

"Hardly," Thanatos chuckled.

"Then… who-"

"Is the oldest?" Death completed the question for Jack, a knowing smile on his lips. "It is difficult to do anything but theorize, seeing as how I was not there. Legend and myth are often mistaken for truth these days, but I know that Mother Earth came into being when life first touched upon this rock that is now a planet. The same can be said for Solara and the star from which she was given life."

Moving smoothly and silently, Thanatos walked around the shelves until he found a book he was looking for. It was a large volume, old and aged from years of existence. The winged man brought the book over to the podium and opened it, slowly turning the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Come here," he motioned for Jack to walk around the podium and look at the book.

Following Death's instruction, Jack moved to stand beside Thanatos, looking down at the pages.

What he saw were old drawings, made from either pencil or charcoal or something of that medium. One page showed darkness, and in the center of the darkness was an hourglass. From the hourglass swirled stars and numbers and planets. On the other page there was a woman, who Jack felt resembled Nyght in her appearance. She had both of her hands held out to the sides. In one hand she held light and in the other hand she held what looked to be the shadow of a man, both of which merged together at her feet.

"I don't understand," Jack frowned. "What is this?"

"The only documented information about the beginning of Time," Thanatos explained, gently running his hand across the page with the hourglass. "Time began in darkness with an explosion of light and life. Everything that exists came from darkness, from Nyght, and her agreement with Time."

"What agreement?"

"That existence without someone to observe it… is no existence at all," Death ventured an explanation.

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**A/N -**

**Yeah, I don't know if this is the best place to split it, but the chapter is rather large and I didn't want to WALL O' TEXT you all. So, I'll be posting the second part tomorrow.**

**I really think everyone is going to enjoy Thanatos, especially since he happens to be the second most talkative spirit in my story (North is the first). I think of Death as a very mellow and realistic individual, and he probably has a firm grasp of who and what he is. I see him as being pragmatic, and he proabably also understands that people are offput by him. That being said, he's actually a decent person. I half wish that he was a real character so that I could create a SECOND fic, or a one-shot or something with him and Jack. I'd call their ship DeathlyFrost. Yep, I'm a fangirl through and through.**

**Speaking of ships! A reader gave me an awesome name from the Rustle x Jack relationship. They called it AprilFrost (because Rustle is the April Fool, get it?). Anyways, I loved it, so a special thank you to SouriMaxwellYuy068! You're amazing! If any of you have similar thoughts or things to share, please Review or PM me! I love to hear from you and I answer all questions.**

**Disclaimer: "Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night" is owned by Dylan Thomas, not me. I felt that it was a great poem to highlight this conversation though, and hopefully it set the tone for this chapter nicely.**


	22. A Conversation with Death: Part 2

**Here we are! Second part of chapter 15.**

**Warning: Angst (yeah, I feel like a broken record).**

**Disclaimer: This story is brought to you by Reviews. Thank you for your support.**

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"So Nyght and Father Time created everything?" Jack looked at the image with newfound awe. "Why?"

"I gather they were lonely, or perhaps they were following in the footsteps of whatever caused their creation," Thanatos shrugged, "Perhaps they had nothing to do with it at all. You merely asked who came first. This is the best explanation I can give."

"And Manny? I mean Erebus?" Jack pressed.

Thanatos pressed his hand to the second image, and Jack could see a look of hurt come over Thanatos' features. "He was created to be Nyght's guardian, formed from light and darkness."

"So he was the first spirit?"

"No," Thanatos practically growled, anger flashing through his eyes. "Spirits are made from the energy, the soul, of something that is mortal, finite. They are infused with magic and made into something that is immortal. Erebus was… is… something else entirely. His creation, while remarkable, is something that has never been replicated."

"Why?"

"It is forbidden," Thanatos said quietly.

"But wh-"

"It is not my place to say!" Death's tone did not inspire Jack to further push his line of questioning. Thanatos looked angry, for some reason that Jack couldn't understand, but the emotion was gone as soon as it had appeared. "My apologies, Jack. I did not mean to be harsh. The world as you know it, and the world as it was, when I was created, are two very different places. Magic has changed. _People _have changed."

"I can understand that," Jack nodded, "I've seen so many things change in just the time I've existed."

"And many things will continue to change," Thanatos smiled. "That is a constant part of the universe."

"And death," Jack whispered.

"That is merely another form of change," Thanatos smiled. "Life is energy, and when one life ends, that energy is released."

"Then what happens?"

"There are infinite possibilities," Death gestured to Jack. "You are one of the many outcomes of death. That energy could become infused in the earth, a star, another life form… I cannot tell you what will become of a person once they die, but their energy exists. It will always exist."

"That is strangely… reassuring," Jack smiled. It felt as if a heavy pressure had somehow been removed from his chest and replaced by something warm and comforting.

"I like to think so," Thanatos nodded, mirroring Jack's expression. The pale man looked down, and for the first time Jack didn't feel any fear when he looked into Death's eyes. "I try very hard to bring peace with death," Thanatos continued. "Change is never easy, but it doesn't necessarily have to be frightening."

"Mine was," Jack shuddered, remembering the cold water again.

"Was it?" Thanatos raised an eyebrow. "Or is it the memory that frightens you?"

"I…" Jack paused, uncertain of his answer. "I don't know. I think _somehow _I'm afraid it could happen again. Which is insane because spirits are immortal!"

"Immortal," Thanatos nodded, "but not indestructible, not infallible… spirits fade away, Jack. There are also times when…"

"What?" Jack noticed that Thanatos had stopped mid-sentence, a look of indecision in his eyes.

"I am hesitant to speak of it," Death breathed. It was a such a heavy, labored expulsion. "It is a part of the past that many spirits choose not to remember."

"If you don't want to talk about it," Jack looked at his feet. "I don't want to pry."

"But you do," Thanatos chuckled. "The curiosity is evident in your eyes."

The spirit of Death beat his wings once, rising into the air and hovering there as he viewed the ceiling. "There was a time," Thanatos breathed, "So many years ago… when several spirits decided that their power was more important than the humans they were created to protect and serve. Do you know why human history is filled with tales of gods and demons, Jack?"

"I always assumed that humans were creative," the Winter spirit tried to force a smile, but something about the way Thanatos' eyes looked, cold and steely, told Jack that this might not have been the case.

"They are. Humans are incredibly creative!" Thanatos frowned, "But I can tell you that no gods exist, not on this or any world. Those stories? They come from a period of our history were spirits turned against humanity, against one another. It was a terrible, destructive war, Jack. To end it, the Primearchs developed the system that they have now. Creation of spirits is heavily monitored, highly selective…"

"But, I don't get it," Jack ran his hands through his hair, trying to understand just what he was being told. "Spirits fought one another?"

"It was more than just that!" Thanatos rushed from the sky, grabbing Jack by his shoulders. The look in Death's eyes was frantic, urgent, as if he were living that war at this very moment. "They destroyed one another, Jack! We used to number in the tens of thousands! And now we are barely more than you see gathered here today!"

"How?" Jack was torn between fear and curiosity, wanting to pull out of the hands had were holding him in place but afraid of what he might not hear if he were to flee.

"I reaped them," Thanatos confessed, letting go of Jack and turning away. "It was the only solution. The fighting wouldn't _stop_… they wouldn't listen to reason. Mother Earth was confused, her mind unable to focus because so many of her children were at odds. Father Time was incapable of leaving her side, barely holding everything together. Only Nyght saw the writing on the wall..." Thanatos held out a hand as if he could touch something, something only he could see.

"Our options were limited; Erebus and I were the only ones who could act," Thanatos held both of his hands before his face, "Erebus refused. Why wouldn't he? I am Death, and it was _my _duty." He turned back towards Jack, his face calm but his eyes sorrowful, swirling with murky shadows. "I ended the war the only way possible."

Jack didn't know what to say. He had opened this door with his curiosity, and the information was more than he had wanted to know. What was that saying about curiosity killing the cat? Jack was being far too curious, and his partner for conversation was Death himself. It was a textbook example of irony.

"Why didn't Nyght do something?" Jack felt a prick of anger in his voice, but he couldn't help it. How could she have ordered Thanatos to commit an act like that? If she was a Primearch, why didn't she act?

"But she did," Thanatos smiled weakly. "I am but a servant of her will, and do not think for a moment that all other options had not been exhausted. My brethren were foolish, _prideful_, and they tried to take powers that did not belong to them. Once they were shown their folly, they fell in line, and the war ended. The cost was great, but had my Lady not made a decision… it would have been much greater."

"Has it happened many times?" Jack felt a heavy feeling in his stomach as the words left his mouth.

"Not for centuries," Thanatos reassured. "The time of the Greeks and the Romans was the last. Our world has changed, our numbers are fewer, and very few remain who actually remember."

"How did it start though," Jack just couldn't believe it. He couldn't see any of these spirits fighting, couldn't imagine something that would make them want to kill one another.

"I do not know how it started," Thanatos sighed. "Years of jealousy and resentment? It wasn't just Twilight spirits, but those of Nature and Time who rebelled as well. They sought to make themselves into gods, to have humans serve them rather than to serve. While many of us have often wondered or guessed what motivated their actions, Solara is the only spirit alive who could answer that question with any certainty."

"Solara?" What could the Sun spirit have to do with this.

"War divides everyone," Thanatos growled, "Even the Primearchs. Solara refused to side with the humans; she has always looked down upon them as insignificant creatures. She is not a part of their world, so her feelings have always been detached."

"That's horrid," Jack felt bile rise in his throat. How could anyone, any spirit, have that opinion of people?"

"It is in her nature," Thanatos shrugged. "She is not a part of this world, not like you or any other spirit."

"She started the war?" Jack looked horrified.

"No!" Thanatos looked appalled. "No… she had no part in the war, but she gave her support to the spirits who would be gods."

"Why? How could she do that?!" Jack felt his entire body tremble. He didn't know why this conversation affected him so much, but the idea of so much destruction was making him furious. "Why is she still allowed around here?"

"She is treated like royalty in the spirit world," Thanatos smirked, apparently amused by the thought. "She always has been. She has no love for humanity, but she enjoys her spotlight. She is much like human celebrities in that regard. I believe she saw a chance to raise herself to even greater heights, and nothing would have changed if the renegades failed. I suppose she made a gamble."

"So she wasn't punished?" Jack asked with disbelief.

"Far from it," Thanatos crossed his arms. "She was removed from the Primearchs."

"That doesn't seem like much of a punishment," Jack growled, "if people still worship her."

"It may not seem like much _now_," Death smiled, somewhat pleased with Jack's righteous indignation. "But you must understand what that action entails. Solara was removed from any decisions that might affect the future, unable to have her powers impact the world in any way outside of her own territory. She could not have a say in the politics of the spirit world, and she was forbidden from creating any spirits."

"Oh…" Jack didn't realize just how severe that one punishment could be.

"Not that Solara ever made any spirits of her own," Thanatos frowned. "That would require sacrifice, and she is not one to share her light with anyone."

"How could Manny stand to be around her?" Jack shuddered, thinking back to the public displays of affection that had passed between Solara and the Man in the Moon.

"I have often asked myself that same question," Thanatos said icily, his eyes turning almost midnight black as his anger showed. "Erebus's betrayal of Nyght is only heightened by his consorting with that selfish Sun spirit."

"Betrayal?" Jack couldn't believe Manny would betray anyone. It had to have been a mistake.

Thanatos froze, his eyes wide in horror. "I have spoken out of place," he muttered, running a hand over his face wearily. "It is not for me to speak of."

"Please!" Jack pleaded. He felt like this was important, and if Thanatos didn't tell him, then Jack was fairly certain that no one else would. "Please… Manny created me! I need to know."

Thanatos looked at Jack with pity, but the spirit of Death didn't look at all inclined to speak. Why should he? Jack was practically a nobody in the spirit world, and he was asking Thanatos to talk about something that was probably top secret.

"There is so much you do not know, Jack," Thanatos whispered. The spirit of Death let out a sigh, and his shoulders fell in defeat, "I cannot begrudge your wanting to know this."

Death's wings fidgeted nervously behind him, and he looked around as if making certain that no one could over hear what he was about to say. "You remember what I said before? Why Erebus was created?"

"To guard Nyght?" Jack had to search back through all the information they had covered previously.

"It was… _more _than that," Thanatos said the word with a mixture of resentment and jealousy. "Erebus was created to be her equal, a partner, someone who would be a companion."

"Then they were… _together_?" Jack wondered. Strangely enough he could see Manny and Nyght together; they looked like a couple. Solara had been frightening, practically unapproachable, and Jack couldn't understand how anyone could try and be a companion to a spirit like that.

"For thousands of years," Thanatos nodded. "I cannot tell you what caused Erebus to leave her service, because I do not know. I know that the war caused friction between them, Erebus would not support Nyght's decision to cleanse the spirit world... and then one day everything fell apart. Nyght personally vowed never to create another spirit, and Erebus became a Primearch to fill that void. After all, he'd been making spirits for centuries, filling in for Solara unofficially."

"Nyght doesn't create spirits anymore?" Jack felt as if that were a horrible decision. Every twilight spirit he'd met tonight seemed to be important; they were vibrant, stunning individuals. The idea that no more of them would ever be created.

"Not for hundreds of years," Thanatos nodded. "I think it had to do with guilt, so many of her children have failed in their duties, but I also suspect that it was to maintain balance. Nyght focuses all of her energy on observing and watching the world for trouble, acting in subtle ways to prevent catastrophe." A glimmer of light shown in Death's eyes and a fraction of a smile teased the corners of his lips as he spoke, but both quickly vanished.

There was something in Thanatos, the way he spoke and the way his eyes had become this melancholy shade of grave, that spoke volumes. Jack didn't know why he felt compelled to ask his next question, but it rang with truth, passing from his lips before he even realized it. "You love her?" the Winter spirit whispered. "Nyght, I mean."

Thanatos looked shocked for a moment, but then he smiled. It was the same smile Jack had seen so many love struck teenagers give to the girls they had crushes on, especially when the girl didn't know that the boy liked her. "Yes," Thanatos confessed. "I have since the moment I first saw her."

"Does she know?" Jack felt guilty for asking, because this was definitely none of his business.

"Possibly, but I've never made my feelings known."

"Why?"

"Because I serve her faithfully," Thanatos explained. "It is my purpose. I was created to serve, and I am happy to do so. Many spirits have made the error of reaching beyond their station, but I am not one of them."

"But love…"

"I do not expect you to understand," Thanatos said kindly, but his tone was stern. "Even if she were to return my affection, I would be unworthy of hers."

"That sounds so stupid," Jack muttered.

"I hear people tend to do stupid things for the people they love," Thanatos chuckled.

"I wouldn't know," Jack sighed. Reminded of his own uncertain emotions regarding Rustle. The Winter spirit felt like a hypocrite for being judgmental towards the Spirit of Death.

Thanatos raised an knowing eyebrow, "I have a feeling there is more to that statement that you're willing to admit."

Jack gulped, "I may have kissed someone…"

The spirit of Death let out a laugh. It was soft, knelling through the library like a flutter of wings. Thanatos looked down at Jack, his eyes shining silver with mirth. "Ah, to be so young!" taking a seat upon a nearby rail, the dark-haired spirit gave Jack his undivided attention, "Who's the lucky girl?"

"Um, see…" Jack blushed. "That's the thing. It's a… _he_."

Thanatos shrugged, "Alright. He should still have a name."

"Wait," Jack held up a hand. "That's it? Alright?"

"Should there be more?" Death looked amused.

Jack paused, his mouth opening and closing in a manner that made him look like a fish. Finally he forced it to stay closed and just looked at the older spirit, dumbfounded.

"As my brother is so fond of saying," Thanatos sighed. "Love doesn't have a stereotype. When you find it, you should hold onto it for everything it is worth."

"Who's your brother?" Jack was intrigued.

"Cupid," Thanatos said the name like it was a bad word. "And I use brother very _loosely. W_e were both created by Nyght."

"Cupid is a Twilight spirit?" Jack grinned. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Love is a big facet of Nyght," Thanatos explained. "Many people think that darkness has something to hide, but there is a reason that so many people choose to have date nights and romantic evenings. Twilight is magical in that regard."

"I guess I never thought to look at it that way."

"There are two sides to every coin," Thanatos shrugged. "Now, back to my question. Who has Jack Frost thinking about love?"

"He's a weather spirit, but he calls himself the April Fool, claims he created April Fool's Day," Jack smiled at the memory.

"Rustle?!" Thanatos looked shocked.

"You know him?" Jack cocked his head to the side, mildly surprised that so many people seemed to know the Summer spirit. Rustle had made it sound like nobody in the spirit world cared for him, but Jack had met two spirits already that were genuinely concerned about Rustle, and now Death himself seemed to know the blue-haired spirit.

"I was there the night he passed away," Death said softly. When Jack looked confused, Death elaborated, "His human passing... his _finis_."

Thanatos' mouth pressed into a thin line as he seemed to recall the event. "It was an unusual conversion for a spirit. Nyght and Mother Earth both used their energy to create him."

"Is that unusual?" Jack asked.

"No, not at all," Thanatos shook his head. "The Primearchs usually join their energy in creating a spirit, it take less of a drain on them. No, the unusual part is that they had me conserve his energy. Rustle died several days before the Conclave, but he was such a special child… they'd been watching him for some time."

"Special?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Death nodded. "He had a spark of life that I rarely ever see in humans... so vibrant and carefree, like a candle that refused to go out. He became a remarkable spirit. I've missed him."

"I don't get it," Jack sighed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Rustle told me that he's been alone for most of his life," Jack frowned. "He doesn't have believers, and most of the spirits wanted nothing to do with him, but that doesn't seem to be the case!"

"I haven't seen Rustle in centuries," Thanatos admitted. "He and Mother Earth had a disagreement about April Fool's day, and he left because of it. Many believed he had faded away in the interim. I know that is not the case, as I am present when every spirit fades, but I have not seen him since."

"A disagreement?" Jack's brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Holiday spirits are a special breed," Thanatos explained. "Their powers, their energy, it is all connected to belief. Nicholas St. North, Toothiana, E. Aster Bunnymund, the Sandman are all powerful spirits, forces to be reckoned with, but if they were to be forgotten? They would fade away. There was a spirit many centuries ago named Mab, a fairy who was associated with pagan holidays and beliefs. She had many believers, very powerful... Sadly times changed; the humans found new beliefs and new holidays…"

Thanatos smiled sadly, "I've seen many more like her throughout the millennia, holidays come and go. It takes a very strong spirit to adapt their holiday to change with times or to keep their believers."

"But what does that have to do with Rustle?"

"Rustle is a weather spirit, but not just any weather spirit. Like you, Jack, he is a Force of Nature!" Thanatos said as if this were an obvious fact that should have been enough of an explanation.

Jack just gave him a confused looked, "Force of Nature?"

"You are a powerful spirit, Jack. Your power comes from the fact that you are believed in!"

"But I only got believers recently," Jack protested.

"Yes, I've heard mutterings about that," Thanatos frowned, "But what I'm talking about is the fact that humans believe in you without knowing who you are. They know without a doubt that Winter will come, just as they know the sun will rise, the seasons will change, and the tide goes in and out. Spirits like you Jack won't fade away; you may go unnoticed, taken for granted, but your power is the proof! Did you not think for a second about how you had power? The energy must come from somewhere. You've had believers all along, the source of your power is just _different_ from Holiday spirits."

"So Rustle has believers?" Jack couldn't believe it. "I had believers even before?"

Thanatos nodded, "And it is because of this that you aren't given a holiday."

"Why?" Jack still didn't understand. "Why couldn't Rustle have a holiday." Jack personally didn't want one, the whole thing seemed like too much of a hassle, but if Rustle had wanted a day for himself, if he had been willing to put in that work; then why couldn't he have it?

"Too much power," Thanatos said seriously. "To place so much in the hands of one spirit? It would be asking for trouble. It could consume the spirit, destroying them completely, or worse…"

"Worse?" Jack had a hard time believing there was something worse than total destruction.

"War," the spirit of Death said soberly. "The flux of power led spirits older and wiser than Rustle to make terrible decisions. These rules were put in place in an effort to prevent that from ever happening again."

That was understandable. It seemed a bit extreme, placing a restriction on all spirits just because a few had made bad decisions, but Jack didn't have any experience with spirit world politics. If this was what the rules were, then they had to work, right? So that only left one question, "What about me?"

"That is an interesting question," Thanatos narrowed his eyes, studying Jack once more. "There hasn't been a spirit with two facets in thousands of years, but I imagine the Primearchs will be watching you very closely."

_So that explains it, _Jack thought. That was why Manny and Nyght had taken a special interest in him, and why so many spirits were giving him special attention. He was an anomaly, something potentially destructive, and everyone was just waiting for him to screw up. It wasn't reassuring... Jack had enough things to worry about, and now he had this thrust on his shoulders. Why hadn't any of the other Guardians told him about this?

"I wouldn't worry," Thanatos reassured. "You're strong-willed, and your moral compass seems straight enough."

"Thanks?" Jack didn't know if was a compliment.

"My instincts are pretty good on these things," the older spirit chuckled at Jack's reaction. "Besides, I trust your creator. They know what they're doing."

"You didn't seem to be fond of him," Jack raised an eyebrow.

Thanatos paused, looking as if he were debating about saying something. "My personal feelings aside," he continued, "…Erebus has good insight."

"Yeah, well," Jack muttered. "It hasn't done me much good. I've had to figure out everything for myself."

"I've found that to be the best course," Thanatos gave Jack a sympathetic look, his eyes murky like morning fog. "We don't learn unless we do things for ourselves. I had little guidance when I was created. Nyght explained what my purpose was, and then she left me alone to navigate the realms of Death. I didn't see her again for nearly ten years."

"Why!?" Jack pounded his fist onto the podium. His anger getting the better of him. "Why do they create us and then just leave us to wander with so many questions?" He let out a ragged sigh, slumping to his knees on the floor. He didn't want to show his weakness in front of Thanatos, but after their conversation Jack really didn't think it mattered. Something about Thanatos' honesty told Jack that he didn't have to worry about appearances,

Thanatos knelt next to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder, "They don't do it because they are cruel, Jack. Time for them is… different. They don't view it like you do, and I admit even I view it differently because I am so intertwined with the short lifespan of humans."

"Wouldn't that make it difficult for them to understand the world?" Jack frowned, "Wouldn't they need a firm grasp of time since they, you know, decide things."

"That's what you are here for," Thanatos let out a soft chuckle.

"I don't understand."

"This dinner is for them to see the state of the world," Death explained. "They can see so much more than you realize. A few words of conversation allows them to witness what you experience in an entire year. It may not seem fair, but that's the way it is."

It wasn't fair. Why did it have to be that way? How was it fair for someone to be able to see so much? Is that why Manny had left him so quickly? Was Jack's life so simple that the Man in the Moon could understand everything from a simple "hello"? Jack didn't even know how he was supposed to talk to someone like that.

"So, that's it then?" Jack sigh, placing his hands on the floor and letting his head drop. "I'm going to have to find my own answers."

Thanatos pursed his lips, not certain what to say. "Tell you what," he offered. "Sit next to me at dinner."

"Why?" Jack muttered.

"Because I like your company?" the spirit of Death offered, smiling as he brushed long strands of dark hair out of his eyes. "And it will give you a chance to speak with Nyght. I'm certain she would enjoy that."

Jack looked up, "Really?"

"Trust me on this," Thanatos stood up, offering his hand to Jack. "She's been wanting to meet you for a very long time."

* * *

**A/N -**

**A perfect place to end it, if I do say so myself! Coming up next will be North's meeting with the Conclave. We get some face time with the Primearchs... and then: DINNER! Also, in the interim we will be checking back in with Jamie and Rustle. So, all of that to look forward too, plus... Shadows are moving. Keep your eyes peeled because the Villain is about to inact the next phase of their plan. Dun Dun DUN!**

**Hope you enjoyed this. It will be a little while before I update again. Saturday's update may not happen (my birthday is today, so... yep! I'm going to be doing stuff this weekend). What's that? You want to get me a birthday present? O.O Geeze you guys are so nice! I like reviews. Short ones, long ones, detailed ones... any review will do! :P**

**See you all next time!**


	23. The Night Closes In

**Wow... I don't know what to say. I've broken 100 reviews! I never thought this day would come! Thank you to all of my regular readers! You know who you are, I correspond with you and in return you give me the strength to go on! This is not to say that I have forgotten my other readers, those who stop by from time to time, and my new readers who are just dropping in. I love you all. This story is funded by reviews after all. Also, thank you to everyon who wished me happy birthday! I had a wonderful evening, someone made me dinner, and there was ice cream and dancing! Yep! So, since I'm in a happy bubble of bliss: update time!**

**Warning: Minor action scequences and moments of endangerment (you know you've been waiting for some action).**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Nicholas St. North had done many foolish things in his lifetime, and as far as he was concerned, a person had to let logic slide a few times every now and then, or they would risk losing their sense of humor; however, this was possibly the most foolish thing he had done in his entire lifetime, and North had lived an incredibly long amount of time. In fact, as far as the Guardian of Wonder was aware, no one had ever been foolish enough to do what he had done.

He had asked to intrude upon the Conclave, the most exclusive and clandestine of meetings between the rulers of the spirit world. The Conclave was secure for a reason, because if anything were to interfere with it, the course of human history could be altered dramatically and irrevocably. In short, the world could very well be brought to a cataclysmic end.

Attempting to distract himself from such harrowing thoughts, North busied himself by observing his surroundings, as he had never been this deep into the Hearth. Nicholas was currently waiting outside of the Chamber of Time, nestled deep within the bowels of the earth. The chamber lay behind a pair of massive stone doors which could only be opened by the Primearchs themselves, all of whom were currently inside discussing… well, North could only venture a guess at what they could have been discussing.

On either side of the doors stood a spirit. North had seen them before, as they greeted him every time he came to the Hearth. One was a young girl with bright green hair and a very serious look on her face; she obviously took this sentry position very seriously. The other was a boy, about the same age as Jack Frost, except he had bright auburn colored hair that hung about his face like a mane; his skin was rich, earthen in tone, and he had a very excited expression on his face.

North felt a brief wave a guilt overcome him when he couldn't remember the name of either spirit; he was guilty because he had never once bothered to ask.

Biting his bottom lip, Nicholas began to wonder why he had never bothered to get to know most of the spirits who came to the New Year's celebration. The answer was simple of course: that was the just way things had always been. Holiday spirits spoke with Holiday spirits, Nature spirits consorted with Nature spirits, and the Elder spirits stay among themselves. Why was he starting to question the way things worked, now of all times? Again, the answer was surprisingly simple:

Jack Frost.

North couldn't control the smile or the chuckle that came with the thought. Jack Frost had changed their little family so much in his short time as a Guardian. Wait, family? The word almost seemed foreign. The Guardians had never truly been a family before Jack Frost. Yes, they had always supported and fought along side one another, and the Guardians had always placed the welfare of children as their biggest priority, but they had never truly been what you would call a close knit group. They had only joined together out of necessity, and they only worked together when the need was great.

But now?

Now things were different. The Guardians saw each other on an almost regular basis. North couldn't remember the last time he had received so many visits at the Pole in a single month, in fact he normally didn't have that many visitors in a year, yet now that he thought about it, his Workshop would seem almost lonely if the Guardians were to go back to the way things had been. Jack Frost had changed their lives, and if North had to make a decision, he would say that the boy had changed things for the better.

Perhaps that is why Nicholas found himself willing to take such a foolish gamble? He was determined to protect his family, and someone very sinister was out there who wished to harm the Guardians. North didn't care about rules or tradition; he needed speak with the Primearchs and find out if they knew anything about these dark Shamblers. They were the only ones who could help, and because of that North was willing to take any punishment or consequence for his impertinence.

Luckily, Mother Earth seemed to be in a particularly generous mood. The Matriarch of the spirit world had accepted North's request without a second thought, and now he was here… waiting. He had no idea when he would be allowed into the chambers, but the fact that he was this close was something to be proud of.

"Um…" the orange haired boy opened his mouth to speak, but at a stern glance from the green-haired girl he went silent.

North raised an eyebrow at the two of them, "What is your name, boy?"

"Augustus!" the auburn haired spirit grinned.

"And you?" North asked the girl.

"April," she said coolly.

"It is pleasure to finally be meeting the two of you," North smiled warmly.

"Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny, both in the same day!" Augustus hopped up and down in excitement. "Can you believe it, April?"

North wasn't certain what the boy was talking about, but apparently Augustus was pleased. Nicholas felt a warm sense of pleasure blossoming in his chest, glad that he had in some way contributed to creating a little bit of joy. He was about to ask the boy a question, when both spirits suddenly went ramrod straight, their bodies rigid and their eyes glowing; they looked past North as if they could see something beyond the chamber.

In less than a second everything returned to normal, and the girl called April addressed him, "You may enter now."

"The Primearchs are waiting," Augustus grinned.

Each of them touched the stone door that they were guarding, and light bloomed upon the rough surface of the rock, twisting and spiraling into ancient symbols. North recognized some of them from his studies into Celtic myth, but many of these sigils were ancient, older than anything North could ever remember seeing. As the lines of light coalesced into the center of the stonework, the doors swung open to reveal a narrow hallway.

North hesitated for but a moment, steeling his resolve. Very few spirits had ever tread where he was about to go, but he couldn't let that knowledge stop him, not when he was so close to answers.

"Thank you, young ones," North nodded to the two spirits as he walked into the hallway.

The doors closed behind him almost instantly, plunging the hallway into the darkness. For a moment, Nicholas had no idea what he was supposed to do. Perhaps he had tripped an unknown security measure, or the Primearchs could have change their minds; then the lines of light which had opened the doors blazed to life upon the walls and ceiling of the hall. They continued to paint their strange symbols, spiraling and streaking down the earthen passage, leading North forward, downward and deeper into the earth.

He walked for several minutes, watching at the tunnel slowly began to get wider, the earthen walls becoming smooth as glass, polished and shining. They reflected the light from the glowing guidelines, casting the tunnel in hues of blue and purple and gold, and finally they deposited him into a vast chamber.

North felt his breath leave his lungs as he took in the sight before him.

In the center of the room was a large, perfectly circular pool of water, clear as glass and glowing with a pale cascade of luminous blue light. Around the pool were four raised daises, and upon each stood one of the Primearchs.

Nyght stood on the far left, her dais carved from ebony and obsidian, the volcanic rock practically absorbing all light that touched it. The Lady of Twilight sat in a high backed chair of the same, black stone craft, looking like a ruler of an ancient empire.

Next came Mother Earth, seated upon a dais of earthy loam that was coated with patches of green summer grass and spring wildflowers. Her chair was grown out of a juniper tree, its branches twisting and forming into the back of an ornate patterned throne. Birds nested in the bough around Mother Earth's head, chirping and singing and appearing unaffected by the magnificence that surrounded them.

Father Time was beside her, his dais like a great metal sundial, gleaming silver and gold, and the arm of the sundial rose up into a gossamer throne of pointed metal, but Father Time was not seated, rather standing tall as he looked down into the pool before them, seemingly unaware that North was in their presence.

Finally there was the Man in the Moon, whose dais was made out of crystal, quartz and diamond, shining inwardly with the light of the evening stars. Manny was looking directly at Nicholas, giving him a nod of approval. The Man in the Moon was seated upon a simple stool which was grown out of the same crystalline formation, but he looked no less regal for his simplistic choice of seat.

"Welcome, Nicholas St. North," Mother Earth greeted, gesturing with her hand for him to come before them.

Taking a few more steps into the chamber, North stopped once he was a foot or so away from the edge of the pool, not wanting to get any closer. The Primearchs were all looking at him now, their gazes penetrating. It was difficult to meet their eyes, and North knew that they were seeing much more than just his physical appearance. The entire room was overwhelming, and North needed a moment to collect his thoughts. Breaking eye contact, he looked down at the surface of the water before him and was startled to see an image of the North Pole reflected back at him.

His Workshop was ablaze, fire spewing out of the windows and smoke billowed out through holes in the roof. Panic struck him instantly; he feared that their unseen foe had returned to finish the job while he was away, but then he saw an image of himself ushering elves and yeti into the Sleigh Barn. How was that possible.

"What is this?" North breathed.

"The limpid Pool of Time," Father Time answered. "It is here that we may see all that is, and was… and could possibly be."

"It holds the water of Life," Mother Earth spoke, her voice even more melodious than the birds that sang around her.

"This happened weeks ago," North explained.

"And it is the reason you are here, is it not?" Manny asked.

"It is," the Guardian of Wonder confirmed.

"How did they get past your security?" Nyght questioned. "Do you not have magical barriers in place? Wards? Sentinels?"

"Yes, all of those things are in place," North confirmed. "This attack came suddenly and without provocation. How they got throught is mystery. No alarms were triggered."

"Where you aware of any danger?" The Man in the Moon asked knowingly.

"The Nightmares have been spotted around all of the Guardian sanctums," North admitted. "We believe they have been probing for weaknesses."

"They appear to have found one," Nyght commented.

North didn't like the way she seemed to be so dismissive of their situation. The Lady of Twilight was known for being pragmatic, but her tone was so detached that North wondered if she were even interested in what he had to say.

"Nightmares are generally in the employ of Pitch Black, are they not?" Father Time raised an eyebrow, waving a hand of the water. The pool shifted to reveal an image of the boogeyman, Pitch's dark visage glaring up at all of them.

"This is not the work of Pitch Black," North said confidently.

"How can you be so certain?" Mother Earth asked.

"Because there were things…" North struggled to find a way to explain the Shamblers. "Dark creatures I have never seen, like skeletons. They set the fires! Sandman said they are not the creation of dreams, but of something much darker."

Nyght stood up, a look of concern on her face as she motioned toward the pool. The scene of the North Pole returned, only this time it showed the swarm of dark creatures, Nightmares and Shamblers, as they crawled all over the Sleigh barn, trying to get inside. "Impossible…" she whispered.

"You know these creatures?" North asked hopefully.

"They are abominations!" Nyght spat.

"They have not existed for millennia," Manny was on his feet as well, looking down at the pool. His face was contorted in a mixture of worry and anger.

"What are they?" North urged, hoping to get more than cryptic speech from this meeting.

"_Atra Phasma_…" Nyght growled. "Dark spirits, Shamblers, souls of humans that are twisted into creatures of fear, hatred, and destruction."

"Such a thing should not be possible," Mother Earth was still seated, but there was fury in her eyes. "The magic for such creations has long since been sealed."

"Then they were not all destroyed," the Man in the Moon said sternly. "And if that is the case, then the person behind this has been biding their time for many centuries."

"Again, such a thing could not be possible," Mother Earth said sharply. "What you are suggesting is that a spirit has managed to hide their true nature from us since the Great War!"

"Such at thing would not be impossible," Father Time mused, fingering the handle of his cane thoughtfully. "If they were to stay out of sight, out of our interest, what reason would we have to suspect such treachery?"

"They are not remnants from the Great War," Nyght said suddenly. She had been quiet, staring at the pool with such intensity that North thought she might be trying to change the very fabric of history by sheer will.

"How do you know?" the Man in the Moon asked with a smile, almost as if he were aware of some silent joke.

"I can feel them," she whispered, motioning to the air around her. "They are out there, in the darkness of the world... hiding." Standing up straight she looked towards the other Primearchs with a steely gaze. "They are confused, lost, angry… they do not know what they are or how they came to be. These thoughts are too coherent, too collected. If they were left over from the Great War they would have no thoughts at all. The older an _Astra Phasma _is, the more feral and dangerous they become."

"You know much about these… creatures," North observed.

"I should," Nyght said coldly. "I exterminated them. To my knowledge they were removed from the face of the earth. To see them once more is _sickening_." With an angry swipe of her hand, the Primearch wiped the surface of the water blank.

"This news is most distressing," Mother Earth said, brining the conversation away from dangerous territory. An angry Primearch was a dangerous thing, and with North in the room it wouldn't be good for Nyght to become volatile.

"What actions have you taken to locate your assailant?" Father Time asked, addressing North directly for the first time.

"My yeti have searched for magical signatures, but none were found," North admitted. "The other Guardians have destroyed several Nightmares but found nothing to link them to any particular spirit. We believed them nothing more than wild creatures. Of course was before attack on North Pole."

"Then you have no leads," Nyght said blandly.

"Sadly, you are correct," North frowned, slightly embarrassed by the condescension in her tone.

"Then we must take it upon ourselves to find this assailant," Mother Earth was adamant. "Nearly every spirit in the world is here tonight. We will be vigilant, question everyone."

"Would that not be creating suspicion?" North asked. "It may cause this entity to be wary."

"Our inquisition will be silent," Mother Earth explained. "We will guise it under the cover of simple conversation, as we always do, only this year we will be searching for something much more sinister."

The Primearchs then launched into a discussion of possible suspects, bringing up images of each spirit they felt capable of such heinous crimes in the Pool of Time, observing their actions over the years and looking for anything that might be suspicious. After an abhorrent length of time, where nothing was discovered and during which North was ignored completely, the Guardian of Wonder began to let his eyes roam.

The chamber was rather simple now that he was looking at it closely. The walls were merely granite that had been hollowed out into a large, circular dome. There were no pillars, no statues, nothing of note aside from the pool and the daises that surrounded it, meaning there was very little to keep North's attention. He turned back to the pool to observe once more.

North couldn't help but feel dejected. He had been expecting to find answers, but instead all he felt was chastised. The Primearchs had taken over, which promised results, but Nicholas felt useless, and he hated that feeling. How was he supposed to protect his family if he couldn't even discover who was trying to hurt them? He looked up with a sigh, running a hand through his beard as he mulled over his thoughts.

Something on the ceiling caught his eye, and at first Nicholas thought it was merely a play of the shadows, many of which were dancing around the room from the light radiating off the Pool of Time; then he looked closer, and he saw the muted red glow of a burning pair of eyes.

"Look out!" North shouted, pointed at creature.

The Shambler let out a earsplitting screech, launching itself from the ceiling, aiming not for any of the spirits in the room but for the Pool of Time itself.

"Stop it!" Mother Earth cried.

North unsheathed one of his sabers, dashing forward to intercept the creature, but before he had even taken a step, Nyght had leapt into action.

The Primearch of the Primordial Darkness raised a hand, and a sonic pulse erupted from her palm. Dark waves blasted the Shambler out of the air, sending it crashing into the far wall behind the Man in the Moon. The twisted creature hit the floor in a tangle of dark, spindly limbs, twitching and writhing as it got back to its feet. It made to leap for the pool again, but this time it was intercepted by Manny. The Guardian of the Moon grabbed the creature by its neck and disintegrated the foul monster in a flash of bright, white light, leaving behind not even a speck of darkness.

North looked at the display of power with renewed awe, sheathing his weapon. Once again he felt useless.

"How did that… _thing… _get in here," Mother Earth shuddered with barely controlled rage.

"Apparently your attacker has grown emboldened, Nicholas St. North," Father Time frowned. "This chamber has never been breached."

"_It_ did not breach the chamber," Nyght stared up at the ceiling.

"What do you mean," Mother Earth followed the other woman's gaze.

"Look," Nyght pointed at the place where the Shambler appeared. "Someone has erased the sigils. It is small, unnoticeable unless you are looking for it."

North followed their gazes but he could see nothing; however, that meant very little. The Primearchs could see more than he would ever be able to, and they were more than likely view ancient magical protections. Such protections wouldn't be nearly as effective if anyone could see them.

"Barely large enough for that one creature to get through," Manny nodded. "So someone has been in here when we were not."

"I thought this chamber could only be opened by a Primearch," North looked around at the four of them in confusion.

"Or those whom we have given our permission," Mother Earth looked warily at the door. "My attendants can open these chambers, and if someone slipped inside while they were here."

"Someone powerful enough to erase the sigil, could be powerful enough to access other magics we have sealed away," Manny warned.

"We have grown lax," Nyght said distastefully. "The consequences could have been grievous."

"What would have happened," North swallowed uncomfortably. "If the creature had…" he pointed to the pool.

"It would have corrupted the Water of Life," Mother Earth looked weary as she said this, slumping deep into her chair. When she saw that North didn't understand exactly what that entailed, the Primearch elaborated, "The magic of the world would have been contaminated. It could have wiped out all life on earth. Whoever is responsible…"

"Will be found," Father Time said sternly.

"This does not leave these chambers," Nyght said firmly. "It affects nothing. We do not want this spirit, whoever they are, to think they have accomplished anything. When we greet the guests, we will be completely normal."

"You want to lure them into a false sense of security?" Manny raised an eyebrow.

"Quite the contrary," Nyght smirked. "They will expect us to be rattled. If we are unaffected by this, I highly suspect they will begin to worry, and I want to see who is sweating." North didn't know of anyone capable of these attrocities, but, whomever was responsible, North felt a small amount of pity for them. The look in Nyght's eyes was positively lethal. If she found the being responsible, there would be no mercy.

* * *

Jamie had been looking for Rustle for the past hour, and he still hadn't found the spirit.

Sighing in dejection, the boy turned to head home. He'd looked everywhere: around the park, gone to the school, been back to his house, and then gone back to the park. Rustle was no where to be found, and Jamie felt responsible. The Summer spirit had run off because his feelings were hurt; Jamie's friends had been rude and then Jamie had yelled at Rustle without thinking. Jamie felt pathetic. What kind of person was he? Rustle hadn't done anything wrong.

Jamie hadn't even meant to yell; he'd just been so frustrated! His friends were supposed to have accepted Rustle, Jamie had promised they would. Now he felt like a liar, and Rustle was off somewhere sulking because of Jamie's failure. Jamie wished Jack was here. The Winter spirit would know exactly what to do, and he'd be able to find Rustle and fix this whole mess.

What if Rustle was thinking the same thing?

Of course! Jamie felt stupid that he hadn't thought about it sooner. Rustle would have gone to the pond! That's where Jack always was, and it was far enough away that the Summer spirit could feel like he was alone. Dashing off through the woods, Jamie headed for Jack's home.

The woods were awfully dark tonight, and Jamie had to slow down so that he didn't lose his way or trip over any roots. The branches overhead blocked out most of the light from the moon, casing a strange spider web of shadows upon the forest floor. Had the woods always been this spooky? Jamie picked up his pace a little bit, wanting to get to the frozen pond as quickly as possible. He'd feel less freaked out once he found Rustle.

There was a snap of a twig behind him, and Jamie spun around to find himself face to face with a demon.

Or at least that's what Jamie would have thought a demon would look like. The monster was like a dark skeleton with glowing eyes and a mouth full of embers, smoke spewing from the gaping maw like rancid breath. Jamie let out a cry, stumbling backwards away from the monster as it shambled towards him. A disgusting, rattle-like sound came out of the demon's mouth as it reached a thin, bony hand out to grab him.

Instinct kicked in, and Jamie fled, turning around and bolting away from the creature as fast as he could. Behind him there was a loud, terrifying screech like nothing the boy had ever heard before. Then that same scream was joined by several others. "No way!" Jamie cried, not willing to look behind, but he was certain that there was more than one of those horrible things chasing him.

Jamie saw light ahead of him, a pale white glow that broke through the edge of the trees. Even though he was already breathing raggedly, Jamie poured on speed, bursting out of the woods and stumbling out into the snowy banks of Jack's pond. The boy let out a choked sigh of relief, seeing something familiar, but then another high pitched cry reminded him that he was far from safe.

Where was Rustle, Jamie needed the Summer spirit! He couldn't get away from these creatures.

"Jamie?" a voice called out.

Looking around frantically, the boy saw Rustle standing off in the distance looking at him with a curious expression.

"Rustle!" Jamie cried out in relief, but then something grabbed him.

Jamie screamed, kicking and struggling as the black skeletal creature grabbed a hold of his pants leg. It was trying to pull him back into the woods, and Jamie saw two other creatures just like it stalking predatorily in the shadows. No! He wasn't going to let them take him. Jamie kicked the creature in the face with this free leg, knocking it away, and he rolled over, clawing his way across the ground trying to get away.

The monster pounced on him, a black hand grabbing a fist full of his hair and dragging the boy backwards. Jamie let out a cry of pain as his body jerked backwards involuntarily, trying to ease the discomfort.

"JAIMIE!" There was an angry shout before the world erupted like a thunder blast.

Rustle came barreling through the air, slamming his fist into the face of the dark monster. The creature exploded in a spray of lightning, black dust scattering into the wind. The moment the creature had vanished, Jamie scampered backwards, getting away from the woods as fast as he could.

He could see Rustle standing between him and the two remaining monsters, only Rustle didn't look like himself. The normally happy Summer spirit looked positively lethal, his face contorted in a mask of rage. Rustle's shaggy, blue hair was whipping around wildly as strong winds started buffeting around the clearing, whipping up a small windstorm around the spirit.

Rustle turned to spare a glance at Jamie. The boy saw that Rustle's eyes, normally warm and blue like the tropical ocean, were glowing bright, violent blue as if they were made of pure lightning; then Rustle turned and stalked off toward the woods, making a bee-line for the creatures that remained.

What happened next was over in a flash. Rustle pointed his birch wand at the first creature, and it was annihilated by a bolt of lightning that arced out from the miniature storm that surrounded Rustle. The final creature turned to flee, but Rustle summoned a blast of wind that knocked the creature back into the clearing, where Rustle pounced on it, brining his fist down upon the monster's skull and destroying it. Jamie couldn't believe what he was seeing. Rustle had destroyed those horrible creatures like they were nothing!

Glad that the ordeal was over, Jamie struggled up to this feet which wasn't easy considering how strong the winds were… and they were getting stronger.

With a cold chill of fear creeping up his spine, Jamie turned to see that Rustle still looked like a bastion of immense power, his glowing eyes narrowed in anger as he stalked around the clearing looking for prey. The winds were practically at a frenzy now, and lightning arced out from Rustle's form in inconsistent bursts, striking the ground in several places, vaporizing the snow where it struck, even striking a nearby tree, lighting it ablaze.

The storm was getting out of control. Jamie didn't know what to do; he'd never seen Jack or any of the other spirits act like this before. Was this normal?

"Rustle…" Jamie called out warily.

The summer spirit's head snapped towards the noise, taking in Jamie with an impassive look. Rustle then started toward the boy, taking strong, powerful strides towards him.

Rustle looked like a freaking Terminator! Jamie took a step backwards in shock. The Summer spirit was a teenage, surfer dude-looking Terminator, and it was coming after him! Jamie froze in fear. He couldn't get away from Rustle! He hadn't been able to escape from those monsters, and Rustle had destroyed them like they were flies. Jamie knew he was doomed.

The stormy spirit was almost on top of him now, and Jamie did the only thing he could think of. He screamed.

"Rustle, STOP!"

The spirit halted, blinking several times, and then the world calmed. Rustle looked around in confusion before he saw Jamie standing in front of him, terrified. "Jaime?" he asked groggily; then he remembered the monsters from earlier, how they had been attacking the boy. Rustle looked around frantically but didn't see anything threatening. "Oh, my god! Jamie are you all right?"

Rustle was knocked off his feet, falling backwards as Jamie practically tackled him in a hug. "You scared the hell out of me!" the boy shouted. Jamie's eyes were wide with anger and terror, tears streaming down his face.

"Sorry?" Rustle wasn't certain what Jamie was talking about. He looked down at the ground, uncomfortable in this current situation.

"Don't ever do that again!" Jamie growled.

"Do what?" the Summer spirit cried, completely confused.

"Go all crazy thunder-Terminator!" Jamie emphatically pointed at the craters in the ground and the tree on fire.

Rustle took everything in and his eyes widened, "I did this?"

"Yeah," Jamie whispered, scooting back and wrapping his arms around his body to comfort his stressed nerves.

"What about those… monster?s" Rustle looked and saw several piles of what looked like black ash.

Jamie smirked, wiping his eyes. "You kicked their butts."

"Wow," the spirit laughed. Rustle was obviously pleased with the results.

"Yeah," Jamie's laugh was forced, but he was glad to see Rustle was back to normal.

Jamie couldn't help but be a little bit afraid of Rustle. The Summer spirit looked so docile and kind, but Jamie had never suspected the blue-haired spirit had that much power! Rustle had frightened him, possible more so than the demons that had attacked him in the jungle, which was completely crazy! Jamie tried to push his fears aside. Rustle had saved him, and Jamie was sitting here being ungrateful.

"Thanks," the boy finally said. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here."

"Sorry for running off," Rustle said shyly, looking around in embarrassment. "I just needed some time alone."

"I understand," Jamie nodded. He'd needed time to himself too, especially recently with all these thoughts in his head.

They both sat there in silence for a while, and Jamie finally felt the last bits of tension and fear slip away. He was still scared, afraid that more of those monsters might be lurking in the woods, but now that Rustle was here Jamie at least felt safe… well as safe as he could be when Rustle could go into Rage Mode like he had earlier.

Finally breathing a sigh of relief, Jamie took a look around the pond and noticed for the first time that it had changed. All long the shore were this strange, glowing flowers. The looked like Easter lilies, except they show almost as bright as the moon that was hanging in the sky. "What are these?" Jamie breathed, reaching out tentatively to touch one.

"I don't know," Rustle frowned. "They don't like me."

"What are you talking about?" Jamie laughed. He rolled his eyes at the Summer spirit. "They're flowers, how could they not like you."

Rather than speaking, Rustle stood up and walked over to the nearest patch of lilies, and as soon as he got within a foot of them, the flowers stopped glowing, curling in on themselves and wilting. Rustle didn't stay near them long enough to kill the flowers, rather he took several quick steps backwards, and as soon as Rustle was gone, the lilies went back to normal. "See," the blue-haired spirit muttered dejectedly.

"Weird," Jamie shook his head. May Jack knew what was going on around the lake. Jamie hadn't been here in weeks, mainly because Jack hadn't been around town.

"How did you do that?" Jamie decided to ask, randomly blurting out his question.

"Do what?" Rustle cocked his head to the side, not understanding the question.

"When you destroyed those monsters, you're eyes were glowing and you had all this lightning everywhere," Jamie explained, waving his hands wildly.

"I… don't know," Rustle admitted. "Everything is kinda blurry. I just remember seeing you in trouble and then everything gets hazy."

"Is it like your other memory stuff?" Jamie asked with concern.

"No," Rustle shook his head, "It's like I was on auto-pilot. I remember certain things, but I just… acted."

"And it's never happened before?"

"Nope," there was a lopsided grin on Rustle face, apparently this didn't seem to bother him at all.

Jamie decided to let the whole matter go, because he wasn't going to get any answers if Rustle didn't know what was going on. Jamie decided he would ask Jack when he came back. The Winter spirit would probably have more information. Heck! Jamie would settle for any information at all.

"So, are you going to be heading to Tahiti now?" Jamie asked, not really wanting the Summer spirit to leave. That would mean that he'd have to spend time with his friends, and right now they weren't being the greatest people in the world. Cupcake was alright, and Jamie really liked hanging out with her sometimes, but Rustle was a whole lot more fun.

"No," Rustle said seriously.

"Why?" Jamie raised an eyebrow. It wasn't that he was complaining, but Rustle had seemed pretty focused on leaving Burgess a few hours before.

"I promised Jack I would protect you," Rustle said, looking back at the piles of black ash. "You obviously need protecting."

Jamie couldn't argue with that. He never wanted to run into one of those black skeleton monsters again, and why were they after him in the first place? So many things in his life weren't making sense, and Jamie was just glad that Rustle was sticking around. The Summer spirit might have some issues, what with a spotty memory and unintentional moments of completely destructive power, but at least Rustle was honest. Jamie felt that he could trust the blue-haired spirit to keep his word, and if Rustle said he would protect Jamie…

Jamie felt that he would be absolutely safe.

* * *

**A/N -**

**Yay! Update! Now I don't have to worry about my readers while I'm going out and partying this weekend! I was kind of proud of this update's title. It had layers. I like being clever.**

**I think I'm beginning to see the development of another love triangle. O.O Hopefully you all don't hate me, because Rustle and Jamie are starting to get kinda close, and I like the two of them when they interact. I'm not saying anything for certain here, but I can see a Jack/Rustle/Jamie triangle, maybe... possibly. Would all of you be interested in that if it were to happen? I'm still really sold on the whole AprilFrost thing, but conflict is the cornerstone of good drama. I like my drama.**

**Well, tell me what you think! You finally get to see Nyght, Mother Nature, Father Time, and Manny put in more face time. You got a section of the story from North's point of view, you got to see more with Rustle (did anyone notice the similarities between his out of control power and Jack's Rage Mode back at the North Pole? I'll give you a hint: there's a connection!), and apparently our villain is starting to make some very serious moves.**

**This story is funded by your reviews, and I look forward to hearing from you.**


	24. Dinner and a Show of Emotion: Part 1

**Hello! **

**I know, it took a little bit longer than usual to get this update out, but I apologize. This chapter wound up being longer than anticipated. Plus, I had to make a few tweaks about where I want the story to go. Right now I have two options. One, this story can have an ending, everything can be happy and fluffy and that would just be THE END. Or... this story can end, and it can have an epilogue... which would lead into a sequel. I'll leave it up to you, my dear readers, to tell me what you would rather have.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

A long, hollow chime rang out through the bowels of the Hearth, its resonance echoing beyond the chambers to the clearing and beyond. It sounded like a glass bell, crisp and pure in sound, but it also rang with such strength that it was impossible not to hear it. The vibrations flooded the air, driving into Jack's very being and thrumming with some impossible sense of certainty. He knew it was time to go outside.

Thanatos was already walking towards the doors of the library, and the spirit of Death turned back to look at him, "Coming?"

"Yes!" Jack said, a little bit too quickly. He tried to cover up his embarrassment by hurrying over to the doorway, staff in hand as he bounded out into the hallway.

"We should make haste," Thanatos smirked at the boy. "We don't want to be late."

As if punctuating this urgency, the bell chimed once more. Jack felt his entire being well up with the sound, his senses coming alive with expectation and excitement. "What is the dinner like?" the Winter spirit questioned. "I… don't really eat."

"Wait and see," the pale man smiled knowingly. There was a hint of amusement in Thanatos' glance, but before Jack could even ponder what was going through the mind of Death, Thanatos was gone.

Jack looked around in shock, only to see that the Grim Reaper was at the end of the hallway, chuckling at him,

"Best keep up, Jack," Thanatos' laughter rang down the corridor, almost as harmonic as the bell which had chimed before.

Unwilling to be left behind, Jack asked the wind to lend speed to his feet and in a few bounding steps he was standing next to Thanatos. The spirit of Death regarded him with that same gaze of amusement, before taking off down the hallways with Jack in swift pursuit.

They exited through the main entrance of the Hearth just as the bell tolled for a third time. Jack could see Treants surrounding the clearing, and as soon as the last tones of the bell had faded away, the monolithic sentries of nature began pounding their feet upon the ground, changing, "Thrice tolls the bell to dine, first on Life and then on Wine!"

A brilliant light flared to life above the clearing, as if on of the very stars from the sky above had dropped from orbit to hang above the long T-shaped table, like a glistening chandelier. The spirits in the clearing were quickly taking to their seats, and Jack could see North, Toothiana, and Sandman seated next to one another. They were laughing and conversing with the Leprechaun, Cupid who was flirting unabashedly with the Tooth Fairy, and several other Holiday spirits, but Bunny was nowhere to be seen.

Jack further surveyed the table until he saw a familiar pair of ears jutting up able the heads of many spirits seated towards the head of the table, the long branch of the "T" which jutted out from the rest of the table. Bunny was seated next to the Groundhog, April, Augustus, and many other Nature spirits. "Strange," Jack smiled.

"What is?" Thanatos cocked his head to the side, looking for the source of Jack's amusement.

"Oh, nothing!" Jack chuckled. "I just never expected Bunny to sit there."

"His is part of the Contingent of Nature," Thanatos said. His voice showed that he was obviously confused, as if this were common knowledge.

"But he's a holiday spirit," Jack protested.

"He has a holiday," Thanatos nodded, "But he was created to be a servant of Nature before Easter was ever conceived. He was a spirit of Pagan rituals dedicated to rebirth and renewal, but when Christianity came around… he adapted."

"Adapted?"

"I told you, Jack," Thanatos chuckled, walking down the steps toward the clearing, "It takes a clever spirit to hold believers for any length of time. That Bunnymund… is quite the cleaver spirit."

Jack almost wanted to scoff at this idea. The E. Aster Bunnymund he knew? Jack would never have called him clever. Annoying, stubborn, obstinate, pigheaded, inconsiderate, irrational, irritable, frustrating… yes, any and all of those adjectives would have been at the top of Jack's list if he were asked to describe the Easter Bunny, but clever? That had never crossed his mind.

Then Jack remembered the Frost Lilies.

Bunny had created those on his own, completely from nothing. Jack had to admit… that was pretty clever. Heck! It was practically artistic. Bunny's creativity was astounding, but was that the same thing as being clever? Probably. Jack didn't quite know how to take that revelation. He had always thought of himself as the clever one, trying to take advantage of Bunny and how easily excitable the rabbit was… but what if Bunny had been toying with him in the same manner?

That would change the game entirely.

Jack vowed he would have to bee more observant in the future. He wasn't about to let someone be more clever than he was.

They were at the table now, and Jack was drawn out of his inner thoughts by a gentle hand on his shoulder. Stopping in mid-step, the white-haired youth turned to see Thanatos gesturing to a chair. The Spirit of Death was holding the chair out for him like a perfect gentleman, and it seemed to Jack as if every pair of eyes at the table were focused upon him… every, single, judging pair of eyes.

Swallowing uncomfortably, Jack took the seat and scooted it up to the table, keeping his eyes firmly locked upon the bright, green table cloth. He wasn't willing to meet any of the stares, afraid of what he might see in those faces.

Jack mentally chided himself. What had he been thinking? He'd agreed to sit next to Death! Thanatos was the oldest spirit here, apart from the Primearchs! Now, here he was, Jack Frost, visiting the Hearth for his very first time, and he was seated at the head of the table! No wonder people were staring at him. Jack wished he could turn into a snowflake at this very moment and melt away… it would be less embarrassing.

* * *

Bunnymund watched in horror as Jack left the Hearth with the one spirit he would never have wanted Jack to meet. Thanatos was trouble. Bunny knew it in his core. Anyone who consorted with Death had met horrible ends… anyone and everyone. That was Thanatos' nature. It wasn't that Bunny had a particular dislike for the spirit of Death, quite the opposite.

Aster respected the elder spirits, and Thanatos was the eldest of them all; however, Bunny was highly protective of Jack Frost, and the fact that Death was now holding out a chair for the boy to sit in? Bunnymund was having difficulty staying in his seat. He wanted to get up, grab Jack, and pull the boy somewhere else… anywhere else but there! Looking around at the table, Bunny noticed that such an action would be impossible. All other seats were now occupied, save for the four chairs at the ends of each part of the table.

Mother Earth would sit on one side of the "T" where it crossed the branch, and Father Time would sit at the end opposite her, while Nyght and Manny would sit at the tip of the branch, right where Jack was currently seated.

That was the only consolation in Aster's mind. Manny would look out for the boy, wouldn't he? Of course he would. The Man in the Moon had obviously taken an interest in Jack, and Jack definitely had innumerable questions which only the Man in the Moon could answer, so perhaps this was for the best? Jack didn't need someone to question his every move; the boy had proven himself more than capable in the past. Bunny was just being overprotective.

Letting out a deep sigh, Bunnymund nearly jumped out of his seat when a voice whispered in his ear.

"What is Jack doing with the Contingent of Nyght!" Toothiana hissed with urgency.

Trying to stop his heart from attacking his chest, Bunny placed a paw over it and glared at the hovering Tooth Fairy. "How in the world would I possibly know?" Bunny whispered back in irritation.

"But weren't you the one who said we needed to watch out for him?"

"Yes," Bunny said, motioning for Tooth to keep her voice down.

"Well, don't worry," Toothiana tried to reassure him. "Nothing is going to happen at dinner."

"You'd better be right," Bunny grumbled. "Otherwise I get to say I told you so."

Before Jack had arrived to take the portal to the Hearth, Bunny had gathered all of the other Guardians together to discuss a growing concern of his. Ever since Jack had nearly melted down and lost control of his powers, back when the North Pole had been attacked, Bunny had felt that something was wrong. Something about all of these events didn't seem to be directed at the Guardians, but rather they seemed to be directed at a single Guardian in particular: Jack Frost.

Bunny had known his hunch was accurate the moment the thought had passed through his mind. The pieces just all fit together: Rustle O. Thunder, the Shamblers, the attack on the Pole, Jack's crazy power surge, the lone Shambler attacking Sandman just as Jack showed up… all these things had only one thing in common: Jack Frost.

Now, Aster realized that his evidence was highly circumstantial, something that North was more than willing to point out, but the Easter spirit refused to budge on the subject. He had insisted that the Guardians watch out for Jack, making his safety their highest priority. They had all agreed, and for the most part Bunny had felt secure about the evening.

So how had Jack managed to get all cozy with the Grim Reaper?!

Bunny felt his irritation level rising, crossing his arms and staring daggers down at that end of the table.

"Getting nervous about the competition?" a voice asked playfully.

Bunny turned his glare upon the person who dared to tease him.

"Don't give me that look!" the Groundhog grinned, obviously enjoying herself. "It's not my fault that everyone is interested in your little Frostflake."

"Frostbite," Bunny muttered under his breath, "I call him Frostbite."

"Yeah," Asteria chuckled, crossing her arms and leaning forward on the table. "And what's that he calls you? Cottontail? Fluffy?" She snapped her fingers, "Kangaroo!"

"I'm not a kangaroo!" Bunny said louder than he wanted to, earning a few chuckles from spirits around him. He glared at them all, and they quickly returned to their previous conversations, leaving the irritable Easter Bunny to his own private chat.

"I like it when you get jealous," the Groundhog grinned.

"I'm not jealous," Bunny raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please!" Asteria laughed. She dismissed his denial with a wave of her paw, "We were both created at the same time. I know you better than you know yourself."

"You don't know the first thing," he scoffed.

"I know that you've had your eyes on that Winter spirit this entire evening," she wrinkled her nose in amusement. "I've been watching."

"Stalker," Bunny jibbed.

"Pot calling the kettle black," she countered.

"Your delusional."

"That's not what I heard Cupid saying," Asteria grinned like a mad woman.

"You were eavesdropping?" Bunnymund looked at her incredulously.

"What kind of sister would I be if I didn't!?" she looked at him mockingly, as if he had offended her honor.

"My personal affairs are none of your business."

"I'd be a poor stalker if I adhered to that rule," the Groundhog winked at him. She always used his own ammunition against him.

With a labored sigh, Bunnymund's ears sagged and he gave her a defeated look. "Just leave it alone," his eyes were practically begging. "…please."

The Groundhog nodded slowly, feeling a pang of guilt for pestering her sibling over something that was obviously important. "Sorry," she said, coughing afterwards to try and cover up the apology.

"What was that?" Bunny smirked. "Did I actually hear what I thought I heard?"

"No!" She protested, "You're going deaf in your old age! You're hearing things! Someone get this man a psychiatrist!"

Bunnymund couldn't help but laugh at the Grounghog's antics, which had drawn a sizable amount of attention. Several spirits around them were chuckling and pointing at the flailing spirit who overdramatically begged for someone to help her obviously delusional brother. Aster felt a swell of pride in his chest. While he didn't necessarily spend that much time with his sister, Asteria was steadfast person, loyal and caring to a fault, and he was lucky to have her.

* * *

Jack felt the silence around him.

It was overwhelming, considering that just a few feet down the table there were conversations, laughter and raucous bouts of entertaining antics. So many spirits seemed to be enjoying themselves, yet here he was, sitting at the end of the table where no one spoke. The Winter spirit could put his finger on what the direct cause of the silence might be, but he was certain it probably had to do with the people he was seated with.

To his immediate left sat Thanatos, spirit of Death, who stoically watched the merriment with some kind of amused fascination. Had Jack not spent the past hour speaking to Death, he might had tried to strike up a conversation, but ,considering how many questions he had floating around in his head and the fact that he had too much to think about as it was, Jack was in no hurry to have another conversation with the silver-eyed spirit.

His other options for conversation weren't all that encouraging either. Seated directly across from him was Sam Hain. Apparently the Spirit of Halloween was also a member of the Contingent of Nyght. The Gothic looking boy sat with a small pumpkin in his hands, carving the vegetable with a pocket knife. On the table next to him were a pile of similar pumpkins, all of them with grisly pictograms etched into theme: scenes of car crashes, burning buildings, explosions. They were so detailed that Jack couldn't stop glancing toward the pile as each new pumpkin was displayed, and the Winter spirit was afraid that he might be developing a morbid fascination with the macabre.

Jack was tempted to strike up a conversation with the other boy, because Sam Hain had been fun to compete with during the flying competition, but there was one thing that kept him from opening his mouth. It was the person seated directly across from Thanatos:

Solara.

The sun spirit had been staring at him ever since he sat down. At first Jack thought she was looking for something, perhaps his hoodie had a hole in it? But the woman continued to stare at him with those fiery eyes, boring into him as if she wanted to cause him to bust into flames.

He'd made eye contact with her briefly when he first sat down, and Jack had felt like his skin was drying out, like all the moisture in his body was evaporating. The air around him seemed much too hot, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Jack had never sweat before a day in his life, and as he wiped off the perspiration from his brow, breaking eye contact with the Mistress of the Sun, everything seemed to instantly return to normal.

Since he had no desire to spontaneously combust, Jack relegated himself to staring at the table and glancing at Sam Hain's growing collection of pumpkins, the latest show several children tying tin cans to the tail of a cat.

"See something you like," the gothic spirit smirked at him.

Jack debated looking up, and he finally did so, trying his best to avoid the burning stare of Solara. "I just wondered why they were so…" Jack looked for the right word, "Grim?"

Sam Hain paused in his carving and thought about Jack's question, "Probably because humans are a grim species."

"I don't understand," Jack frowned.

"I'm carving events that are happening right now," Sam shrugged, motioning to the pile of pumpkins. "All of these things are the results of tricks… most of them gone horribly wrong."

"You see all of that?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Most of it," Sam nodded, his glossy black hair bouncing around his face. He turned back to his pumpkin, seemingly done with the conversation.

"You've found a rather interesting pet, Thanatos…"

Jack turned to the voice, it was sharp and precise, like cold steel. Whoever was speaking had perfect diction, their enunciation flawless and regal. Jack was curious to see who possessed such a voice, and he immediately regretted it. The person who had spoken was Solara, and as he turned his eyes were riveted upon her burning gaze. Jack felt a heat in his chest rise, like someone had lit a fire in his heart and gave him literal heartburn; he tore his eyes away and focused on Thanatos.

The spirit of Death looked at the boy in minor concern before turning to address Solara, "I see your tongue is sharp as ever."

"Merely making an observation," Solara said blandly, finally taking her eyes off Jack and turning them upon the spirit of Death.

Molten orbs of pure fire clashed with the mercurial gaze of Death, and Jack was almost certain that if looks could kill, then one of these two entities were capable of such a feat.

"Jack Frost is a personal guest of mine," Thanatos said with a smirk, but the tone of his voice had a certain underlying threat to it.

"Is my sister rubbing off on you?" Solara raised an eyebrow. "It's not like you to take on charity cases."

"Seating him next to you would hardly be considered charity," Thanatos said coldly.

"No, but putting such a low caliber spirit in the presence of his betters?" Solara looked down her nose with distaste, "What else would you call it."

"I would call it none of your business," Jack growled, his fists clenched in his lap as he stared at the Sun spirit. Anger was evident in his eyes, and, even though fear coursed through his veins and his mind screamed at him not to say anything, Jack refused to sit there silently while she spoke about him like that.

"Oh, ho!" Solara smiled, thought it was a frightening expression on her imperious face. "So the little spirit has a backbone after all."

"I find your sense of humor distasteful," Sam Hain said in such a monotone that everyone turned to look at him.

"I beg your pardon," Solara frowned.

"You are attempting to amuse yourself," the gothic boy said, not even bothering to look at her. "But it's not working, and no one else is amused. Please shut up."

"How dare you," the Sun spirit growled, and Jack saw actual, living flames come to life around her shoulders. Her bronze armor turned glowing red as the heat of her anger rose.

"Act your age, Solara!" a voice snapped through the tension.

All gazed turned to see that Nyght had appeared in her seat, the Man in the Moon sitting right next to her. Jack looked at the other ends of the table and could see that Mother Earth and Father Time had also appeared in their seats. He wanted to know how they had gotten there, but now was not the time to as such a question, and the answer was probably something simple, like he'd been too busy watching the scene in front of him to notice the arrival of the Primearchs.

"Nyght," Solara smiled, the fire fading away as she plastered on a sickeningly sweet expression. "How are you." She reached out, taking one of the Man in the Moon's hands with her own, intertwining their fingers.

The dark haired Primearch looked at the Sun spirit with barely concealed disdain, but when she spoke her voice was calm and collected. "Despite certain unfortunate seating arrangements," Nyght's eyes narrowed at Solara with this comment, "I'm doing exquisitely."

Before Solara had a chance to respond, Nyght turned her gaze elsewhere, "Jack Frost, what a pleasant surprise. I half expected you to be with the Holiday contingent."

"Um…" Jack didn't quite know what to say, especially since every pair of eyes was watching him.

Thankfully Thanatos came to the rescue, "I met young Jack in the library. He was such a good conversationalist that I asked him to join me."

"Fascinating," Solara said, her voice dripping with obvious sarcasm. "I can see he is overflowing with profound things to say."

Nyght shot the woman a sharp glance, effectively shutting her up before she turned back to Jack. "It would seem fortune favors me tonight, Jack Frost. I was making plans to speak with you."

"Me?" Jack swallowed nervously. "Why?"

"Curiosity," Nyght smiled, watching him with those eyes that seemed to have infinite depth.

"What she means," the Man in the Moon spoke up with a chuckle, "Is that you have been a topic of much interest this year."

"Really?" Jack looked at the Moon spirit, unable to contain his shock.

"Oh, yes," Manny beamed, his smile practically radiant. "I knew you were meant for great things. I just didn't realize you'd be such a natural."

"Yes," Sam Hain replied in his monotone. "More believers in a single year than any Holiday spirit. Quite remarkable. I blame Twitter."

"Excuse me?" Jack frowned. He didn't realize that he'd done something that… impressive.

"Forgive them," Nyght said gently. "I'm afraid you've been a topic of conversation for a while now. Some people forget that it is impolite to talk about people when they aren't present." He voice was stern, but the mirth in her eyes said that she was enjoying giving the other spirit's a hard time.

"Guilty as charged," Manny held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry," Jack frowned. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No!" Manny fixed Jack with a serious look. "You've done nothing wrong!"

"Well," Solara muttered, but a glare from Nyght kept her from speaking further.

"It is just unusual," Sam Hain supplied, setting down his pumpkin and looking Jack in the eyes. The gothic boy had dark blue eyes, like midnight.

"Unusual?" Jack was feeling uneasy. His hands were still clenched into fists underneath the table, and he was fighting the impulse to hyperventilate or run from the table in fear. Jack didn't think he could survive this conversation, there was just too much attention upon him. His fears were about to get the better of him when he felt a hand close over one of his fists; Jack looked down to see that Thanatos's pale, unblemished hand and looked up at the spirit of Death.

Thanatos was still conversing with the other spirits, all of who were discussing the unusual case that was "Jack Frost", but the man spared a small glance in Jack's direction, giving him a wink of silver and a reassuring smile. For some reason, all the fear seemed to disappear. After all, why should Jack be afraid? He hadn't done anything wrong; if anything, he had done something incredible. Why else would so many important spirits be talking about him.

"As I was saying," Manny's voice came back into focus as Jack left the sanctum of his own thoughts. "It's not that unusual. In the past spirits used to have several jobs. Being a Guardian merely overlaps with a Jack's duties as a Weather spirit."

"You're suggesting that they are compatible?" Nyght raised an eyebrow.

"I've said so repeatedly," The Man in the Moon smirked.

Solara returned the smirk, "Confidence… so empowering."

"Overconfidence can be destructive," Thanatos cautioned.

"I'm not being overconfident," Manny bristled. "I've been invested in Jack since his creation. I know the boy!"

"Actually," Jack said timidly, "You don't."

"I beg your pardon," Manny raised his eyebrows in shock. Solara glared at Jack with unbridled fury, obviously incited by Jack's perceived rudeness.

"You don't know anything about me," Jack said, refusing to back down.

"I've watched you every day for three hundred years," Manny said, his voice a bit cold.

"That doesn't mean anything," Jack shot back. "Human's watch television for years, but that doesn't mean they know anything about the actors. You've never spoken to me before tonight," the Winter spirit did his best to keep his anger and hurt in check, "How can you even think you know me?"

"You are aware that we can see beyond what is before our eyes?" Nyght asked him. Her voice inquisitive, but Jack couldn't find anything other than that. There was no anger, no reproach, not even a hint of sterness.

"Thanatos told me something about it," Jack nodded. "I can say I understand it completely, but I stand by what I said. No matter how much you watch me, that doesn't help you know who I am."

"I told you," Thanatos smirked at Solara. "The boy is a surprisingly good conversationalist."

"I find him amusing," Sam Hain nodded.

"Disrespectful," Solara bristled. "To speak to a Primearch in such a manner-"

"It's alright," Manny interrupted her. The Moon spirit looked at Jack intently. Behind the half-moon spectacles, his blue eyes shone with a keen intrigue. Jack knew that whatever the Man in the Moon was looking at wasn't seated in his chair. "You carry a lot of pain, Jack Frost."

The Winter spirit stiffened, "So?"

Manny's feature softened into a look of sadness, "Much of that is my doing."

"Yeah, well," Jack frowned. "Perhaps if you didn't just create spirits and then throw them to the wolves…"

The pain in Manny's eyes was unmistakable as he visibly flinched at Jack's words, "Some things are unavoidable."

"Unavoidable?" Jack's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You ignore someone for three hundred years and that's unavoidable? Do you know how many times I looked up at the moon and asked for help? It got to the point where I was talking to myself."

"You weren't," Manny said softly.

"Funny," Jack said coldly. "Because no one ever spoke back."

"Jack!" Nyght's voice was stern this time, but her eyes had understanding in them. "This is neither the time nor place for this."

Looking down at his hands, Jack nodded. He looked up at Manny apologetically, "I'm sorry."

The Man in the Moon smiled, "You're fine. I'm glad to see you have such a strong sense of decency. In this day and age, the right course of action is often hard to determine."

"It's not that hard," Jack sighed. "I just treat people how I would be treated."

"That is a very old piece of knowledge," Nyght smiled. "One that many people," she looked around the table, "…and spirits seem to forget."

"I just choose to ignore it," Sam Hain deadpanned. "Most people wouldn't like the things I like."

"There are exceptions to every rule," Nyght chuckled.

* * *

Dinner was surprisingly devoid of food. At some point in the night, Thanatos had asked to swap places with Jack, which allowed the spirit of Death to speak with Zeus and Oceana.

Conversation was plenty, and Jack spent the next hour engaged in discussions that ranged from simple things, like the sudden lack of human interest in space exploration-Nyght was apparently very concerned with the fact that NASA had lost so much funding, to more thought provoking topics, such as the decline of children who were willing to believe and how the Age of Not Believing was getting younger and younger. While spirits like Solara and Thanatos were immune to such things, for spirits like North and Toothiana this was a growing concern, especially considering how Pitch Black had managed to nearly make every child in the world stop believing.

Jack noticed that Nyght was silent as the topic of conversation turned to the Boogeyman, and he decided that now would be as good of a time as any to ask her about Twilight spirits. "Why did Pitch decide to start terrorizing children?" Jack ventured.

Nyght looked thoughtful, and none of the other spirits seemed to be interested in Jack's question. Manny and Solara were busy having a whispered conversation, exchanging chaste form of affection; meanwhile Sam Hain was busy carving another pumpkin whilst avidly doing his best to ignore Cupid, who had flown over to visit with the Elder spirits.

"My children lead difficult lives," Nyght said, her voice barely above a whisper. Jack would be the only one privy to this conversation. "In many ways I fear that I cursed them. I gave Pitch a job that was difficult to do, and I thought he was strong enough to handle the burden. I failed to see the weakness in his character."

"I don't understand," Jack hope that she was willing to explain. "What was his job exactly?"

"Fear," she said simply. "He was supposed to help humans overcome their fear. During life he was such a fearless individual, strong and courageous… or so I thought. I failed to see his fundamental flaw." When Jack only looked more confused, Nyght smiled. "You see, Pitch was used to attention, adoration. His kingdom praised him for his courage, which led him to be that way. He lived for the praise. When offered him the job to help humans conquer their fear, he leapt at the chance…"

Nyght's face hardened, "There is no adoration to be found in fear. Humans do not like facing their darkest nature, and they hate having their fears brought into the light. Without adoration and praise, Pitch became twisted, angry… _Black_." She said the word, explaining how the Boogeyman earned his last name, at least from her opinion.

"So many of my children are hated by humanity because of the jobs they have to do," the Primearch sighed. "I cannot stop them from the choices they make, but I am responsible for them."

"Is that why you stopped creating spirits?" Jack whispered.

"Thanatos has been speaking out of turn," Nyght pursed her lips, glancing down the table at the Grim Reaper. While her face looked stern, the Primearch's eyes were amused, dancing with little flecks of starlight.

"I kind of interrogated him," Jack confessed.

"You are full of questions," Nyght observed, her lips curling up into a delicate smile.

"People keep saying that!" Jack pouted.

"It is not a bad thing," she commented, leaning back in her seat.

Nyght stared at Jack for such a long time that the Winter spirit began to feel uncomfortable. Something about those ebony eyes, the way they seemed to hold the infinite reaches of Space within their depths, told Jack that she could possibly see things that even the other Primearchs were incapable of seeing. What had Thanatos told him? That Nyght spent all of her time observing, since she no longer created or played a role in creating new spirits. Perhaps, because she spent so much time watching the world around her, Nyght was able to better understand people and events.

Jack didn't know if his suspicions were true, but the longer Nyght looked at him the more self-conscious he felt, as if she could read his mind, browsing his thoughts like an open book.

"You are correct," she said finally.

"About?"

"The reason I stopped creating spirits," Nyght confessed, letting out a deep sigh. "So many of my children have chosen to cause pain, rather than lend aide; they've become selfish and cruel. They choice may have been theirs, but the responsibility is mine. I cannot, in good conscience, create spirits if they are going to cause harm to the world I wish to help."

"But that's such cop out!" Jack growled in frustration. "So a few Twilight spirits made bad choices… they aren't all bad!" He pointed to Thanatos and Cupid.

"My children are the minority at this table," Nyght smiled, pleased that Jack was trying to encourage her. "Aside from Thanatos, Cupid, and Sam…" she smiled at the gothic boy who was currently engrossed in a detailed pumpkin portait. "I have no other children at this table."

"But the other people in the Contingent of Nyght," Jack looked around for the whispy women who were made of shadows and the dazzling ladies made of starlight, which he had seen earlier, but they were no where to be found.

"They are my handmaidens." Nyght explained. "Much like the Treants, they are creations of my magic, but they are not truly spirits."

"Oh…" Jack looked down at the table in consternation.

"Your concern is touching," Nyght smiled, placing a hand on Jack's cheek.

The touch was light, barely a caress, but it felt electrifying! Jack could sense thousands of emotions within that single touch. He felt compassion, warmth, hope, and joy; there was also sadness and longing, mingled with regret and dissatisfaction; however, the most vivid emotion Jack could feel was a sense of pride… in him. For some reason, Jack knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Nyght was proud of him, and for the life of him he couldn't understand why.

The feelings were gone as soon as Nyght retracted her hand, and she returned to lounging comfortably in her seat, "I've spent many years second guessing my decision, but I've yet to find a reason to change my mind. My time is better spent on other things."

"Of course," Solara's voice cut in. "It would be so inconvenient for you to have to do your job."

"I assume you could do it better?" Nyght raised an eyebrow in obvious challenge.

"Most assuredly," Solara smirked.

"Strange," Nyght yawned, "I don't remember you ever creating spirits before, why the sudden interest? Oh, wait! There isn't any…"

"Some of us have jobs to perform," Solara's voice dripped with venom.

"Basking in your own light is hardly a chore," Nyght mused.

"Ladies," the Man in the Moon interrupted, much to Jack's relief. "I think the toast is about to start." He motioned toward the head of the table where Mother Earth was now standing.

* * *

**A/N -**

**So much happens in this chapter that I honestly thought it would never get finished. In fact, I never actually finished it. I only got through the dinner, and really I had plans for this chapter to go on into more... plot specific details that advanced things. But once I hit the 21 page mark in Microsoft Word... I decided that I had to bump some of those plans into next chapter.**

**So, we have another case where I'm going to split a chapter into two part. I'll post the second part of Ch. 17 tomorrow. I promise!**

**We have some more face time with Manny, Nyght, and Thanatos (who quite frankly is growing on me), we finally get to have some face time with Sam Hain, who is actually an intriguing character (I look foward to writing him in the future), and I'm certain that you all have thousands (or at least several) questions after all of this. Hopefully the second half of this chapter will hold some of those answers you've been looking for. I know that this chapter definitely has some big reveals.**

**So, please, review! Let me know that I haven't lost you because of my absense. Hope you enjoy the updates.**


	25. Dinner and a Show of Emotion: Part 2

Picking up right where I left off! Please enjoy, and my comments will be at the bottom.

* * *

The Primearch of Nature held her hands above her head, and the bell from before rang out across the clearing. Every spirit at the table stopped talking and turned to face Mother Earth, who's features were smiling brilliantly. She raised a hand and a glass chalice appeared in her hand, while all around the table identical glassware appeared at ever place setting. "Friends," she said warmly, "The New Year is upon us!"

There was a cheer from the gathered crowd as spirits picked up their glasses, raising them high. Jack followed suit, wrapping his fingers around the ornate cup. Tendrils of frost danced over the glass, coating it in a frigid layer of intricate spirals. Jack lifted the up, marveling at how it sparkled in the moonlight.

"While the night is far from over," Mother Earth continued, "The last few seconds of this year draw to a close, so it is at this time that I offer a toast."

As she spoke, the glasses around the table filled with a shimmering liquid that pulsed with a soft blue light. It looked like water, except it was so vibrant and blue.

"The gift of Life is a precious thing," the Primearch of Nature smiled. "It is something we are all sworn to protect, defend, and cherish with ever fiber of our being. This next year will be a test for us all, as the human race forward at a frantic pace, faster than anything we have ever seen, but Life always finds the means of adaptation. So do we…" She smirked and there was a round of chuckles that arose from the guests. "So let us all do our best, and may we see each other again next year!"

Mother Earth raised the glass to her lips, and the rest of the table followed suit.

Jack brought his cup up, surprised that the water hadn't frozen in his touch. Some of it had crystallized, and as he drank it seemed to have the consistency of a slushie, but it hadn't completely frozen which Jack found to be remarkable… but it was nothing compared to the feeling he got once the liquid passed his lips. Jack felt a surge of energy like nothing he had ever experience.

Magic seemed to flow through his veins, pulsing at the tips of his fingers, vibrating in his skin, and making his hair stand up like an electric charge. He had never felt so charged, so vitalized, so alive! All around the table, spirits were turning to look at him, and he suddenly felt very self conscious. Jack looked down at his cup to and noticed his own reflection…

He was practically glowing.

Well, his eyes were glowing at least. They were shining with pulsing, white light and his skin was luminous, like the surface of the moon. What was going on with him? He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, and he turned around to look straight into the face of Death. Thanatos had a concerned look upon his features, while other spirits around him were caught between shock and awe.

Jack blinked several times, hoping that each time when he opened his eyes he wouldn't see everyone staring at him. They were totally killing the sense of euphoria he had gain from the drink.

"Strange," Thanatos muttered.

"What?" Jack frowned. The feeling was completely gone now.

"It's gone," Death explained.

Jack looked at his reflection in the glass again, and was glad to see that he looked completely normal again. "Yay…" he waved his hands in mock excitement.

"Oy! Frostbite!" Bunnymund came hopping up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Bunny!" Jack growled. "I'm fine!"

"But…" the Easter spirit looked like he wanted to say something, but Jack's glare prevented him from doing so.

"This has happened before?" Thanatos raised an eyebrow, his question directed at Bunnymund.

"Once," the Easter spirit muttered, talking to the Spirit of Death under his breath.

"I'm right here!" Jack snapped. "I can still hear you."

"Sorry," Thanatos frowned in embarrassment, something that Jack never thought he would see on the face of Death. "Your transformation was just… intriguing."

"His power is manifesting," Nyght spoke up from her seat. She hadn't risen for the toast, and her glass was the only one on the table that remained untouched, its glowing contents remained not drunken. She rose to her feet, glancing pointedly at the Man in the Moon, "A word with you, please."

Manny nodded and rose from his seat to comply. Solara also rose to her feet, which prompted Nyght to speak further.

"Alone," the Primearch of Twilight said, her tone allowing for no argument.

Solara frowned, looking as if she wanted to argue, but Manny turned to her and smiled. "Hey," he caressed her cheek softly, "I'll be right back."

"You better," Solara grumbled.

"You're adorable when you get clingy," he chuckled, turning and walking back towards the Hearth. Nyght was already at the top of the stairs, apparently unwilling to wait around and watch the public display of affection.

Jack watched as the two of them disappeared into the wide, arching entrance, and he was left with nothing but uncomfortable silence. Solara was glaring angrily at the entrance to the Hearth, looking as if she would love nothing more than to set it on fire, Sam Hain grabbed his latest pumpkin and walked off, muttering something about too much drama, and Jack was left with a stoic looking Spirit of Death and a rather concerned Easter Bunny.

"Are you certain you're alright, mate?" Bunny asked again, placing his paws on Jack's shoulders.

It was the last straw. Jack wasn't really irritated at Bunnymund, rather he was just irritated at his life in general. He was upset that things weren't the way he wanted them to be. He wanted answers, but all those answers brought were more questions. He still didn't know why he was chosen to become a spirit, even though Jack knew what his center was: he was supposed to bring fun to the children of the world. It wasn't enough; Jack wanted to know why he was originally created. What made the Primearchs think he was worthy of becoming a spirit to begin with, and why was Manny avoiding him?

Even though the Man in the Moon had been right there, talking to Jack the entire night, the Winter spirit had been unable to get the most important answer: Why was he ignored?

All of Jack's anger and irritation boiled over at that point, and he jerked away from Bunnymund's touch. "I'm fine!" he shouted. "I'm not some fragile kid you have to keep checking up on!"

Bunny's ears drooped as Jack yelled at him. He held his paws up in the air, letting Jack know that he wasn't going to try and touch him again, "Look! Whatever you say, mate!" Bunny narrowed his eyes, "I was just trying to be helpful."

"Well stop!" Jack snapped. "You're not being helpful! You're patronizing!"

"Hey!" the Easter spirit stamped a foot, towering over the white-haired boy, "I don't have to be anything! I thought we were friends, and friends look out for one another!"

"Yeah," Jack laughed, "But they don't stand around waiting for each other to screw up!"

"I didn't say you screwed up," Bunnymund growled.

"No, but you were over here awfully fast," Jack glowered.

"You were lit up like the north star!" Bunny threw out his arms in exasperation, "Everyone saw it!"

"So I embarrassed you, is that it?" Jack's voice turned frigid. "You hurried over here to make certain I didn't make the Guardians look bad?"

"You're doing plenty of that right now, kid," Bunny gestured at the audience who was watching their argument.

"Screw you!" Jack's fist flashed out. Bunnymund was so shocked by the action that he didn't even have time to defend himself. Jack's fist struck the Easter spirit right in the jaw, knocking him on his rump and leaving him completely speechless.

Without another word, Jack turned on his heel and stormed off toward the Hearth, vanishing through the entrance.

The crowd which had been watching the argument dispersed, having enough decency to let Bunny nurse his wounded pride in peace. Well, almost everyone dispersed. Bunnymund was slightly annoyed to find that the spirit of Death was still standing there, looking down at the Easter spirit with an emotionless gaze.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"Picking a fight with me won't help," Thanatos smirked. "I hit much harder than Jack."

"Since when are you two on a first name basis?"

Death shrugged, "That is what he said to call him."

"Great," Bunny stood up, rubbing his tail. He'd landed directly on it and now it smarted fiercely.

Thanatos walked over to the end of the table and picked up Nyght's untouched glass, handing it to the Easter Bunny. "Here, this will take the pain away."

"I'm fine," Bunny walked past Death. While he appreciated the offer, Bunnymund knew that the Water of Life wasn't going to take away the pain he felt, because it wasn't a physical pain.

Aster headed straight for the bar, intending to drown his pain in the best way possible. He'd only gone over to Jack because he'd been concerned. For crying out loud, the boy was glowing! Jack looked exactly the way he had during the fight at the North Pole, so why couldn't Bunny be concerned. He hadn't meant to start a fight…

He had been hoping to get closer to the Winter spirit, but now Bunny lamented as he seemed to have driven Jack further away. "Great," Bunny ran a paw across his face. "Just great."

He turned around to ask Death a question, but was surprised to find that Thanatos had vanished. The Grim Reaper was no where to be found, which left Bunnymund with very little to do other than wallow in his own self-loathing. There really was only one thing he could do. He had to go find Jack. It probably wouldn't solve anything, and Bunnymund was fairly certain they would end up fighting again, but he couldn't just stand around without at least trying to apologize or explain him.

No, he probably wouldn't try and explain himself. It hadn't gone so well the last time he'd tried to do that, but if he apologized, then perhaps Jack would be more willing to open up to him and explain what was going on. Bunnymund wasn't the most knowledgeable spirit, but he was more observant than most. He knew that something was wrong with Jack; the Winter spirit had been emotionally unstable, anger and mistrust were evident in his features, and, no matter how hard Bunny tried to do damage control, he could feel Jack slipping away.

That was an outcome Aster was unwilling to accept, and as he trudged up the steps to the Hearth he promised himself that he would do anything and everything within his power to make Jack happy. Even if that meant Bunny wasn't the one who could personally make that happen.

* * *

Jack was stalking through a corridor at that precise moment, grumbling to the wind about his various sources of irritation, none of which happened to be present. It was a pointless thing for him to be doing, but it made him feel better.

Right now he felt pretty low.

Complaining wasn't something Jack enjoyed doing, but he found himself filled with complaints recently. He hated feeling uninformed, he loathed feeling looked down upon, and he had nothing but disdain for Bunnymund and his over-protectiveness. The Easter Bunny wasn't really at fault, and Jack understood that it had been rude to yell at him. Still, Jack's frustration had clouded his better judgment, and now he was in a foul mood.

For the most part he had been enjoying the evening.

Even though he had nothing but more questions, Jack had actually learned a great deal. He'd spoken with Thanatos, learning more about the Spirit world from Death than he had from any of the Guardians, and he'd been able to speak with Nyght. How many spirits could say that they had a private conversation with a Primearch?

Jack was going over his encounter with Nyght, revisiting the way she had acted and spoken. The Primearch of Twilight had been strangely compassionate, yet there was a sense of lethality around her as well. Nyght seemed to command absolute authority, but for someone with that amount of power she seemed almost normal, down-to-earth.

His thoughts ground to an abrupt halt as he ran into something solid. Jack stumbled backwards, and he would have fallen, except that a pair of arms wrapped around him and pulled him close. Jack felt himself pushed up against a solid mass of muscle and was staring directly into a dark clothed chest. So, that's what he ran into?

Looking up, Jack found himself face-to-face with Thanatos. "Hi," Jack muttered. "Can you let me go?"

"Certainly," Thanatos smiled. "Can you promise me that you won't run into me again?"

"Yes," the Winter spirit mumbled. The arms released him, and Jack took a step backward. "Sorry."

"Think nothing of it," Death chuckled.

There was a moment of silence before Jack decided to resume his wandering. He walked past Thanatos and continued down the hallway, but he was acutely away of the tale, pale man who was matching pace beside him. Jack looked at Thanatos out of the corner of his eye, "Are you following me?"

"Yes," Thanatos responded with a straight face.

"Why?"

"Because I would hate for you to get lost."

Jack had a hard time determining whether or not Thanatos was kidding. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Is it wrong for me to enjoy your company?" Thanatos looked hurt.

"No…" Jack frowned. How was he managing to be rude to every person who showed concern for him.

"Alright," Death nodded, continuing to walk in silence.

"You're not going to say anything?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"About?" Thanatos cocked his head in inquiry.

"That…" Jack motioned behind him.

"The hallway?" Thanatos smirked. "You've already apologized."

"No!" Jack growled in frustration. "That whole thing with the stupid Kangaroo!"

"I assumed you didn't want to talk about it," the pale man's smirk widened into an amused smile.

"I don't!" Jack nodded, walking a bit faster as his temper flared.

"That's why I didn't say anything."

"You're really annoying, you know that?" Jack muttered.

"You seem to be feeling better," Thanatos remarked.

"A little," the white-haired youth confessed.

Thanatos reached out and grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him down a corridor.

"Hey!" Jack protested, "What are you doing?!"

"I want to show you something," Thanatos gave him that smile, the one that was so brilliant yet knowledgeable as well, and Jack felt a surge of excitement. All of his previous irritation was replaced by curiosity.

"What?" Jack couldn't help but smirk. "Where are you taking me?"

"That's a surprise," Thanatos' silver eyes sparkled with excitement. "I promise it will make you feel better."

Jack couldn't argue, because he already felt better. He had completely forgotten about his fight with Bunnymund, his anger over his treatment by the Man in the Moon, his distaste of Solara, his confusion about Nyght… Jack was entranced by his insatiable curiosity, and he was unable to hold onto his previous irritation.

Who would have thought that Death would be the person who could lift his spirits?

* * *

When he had decided to go and find Jack, Bunnymund hadn't actually taken into account how difficult of a task that would be.

Jack could be anywhere inside the Hearth, and the Hearth was huge! Dozens of corridors led to hundreds of rooms, most of which Bunnymund had no idea what their purpose was for. He tried the library, he tried the observatory, he tried several lounges, but no matter where he searched, Bunny was unable to find the boy.

The only thing he could think to do now was wander and hope that he found Jack soon.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me!" a voice snapped through the silence of the corridor.

Bunnymund's ears perked up at the sound, and he slowly began walking toward the disturbance. It wasn't that he wanted to eavesdrop, but the Easter spirit could hear the anger behind that voice. There was wrath there, back up by undeniable power. Something deep within him knew that this conversation was meant to be private, but in the back of his mind Bunnymund knew that he also wanted to know who was speaking. Something important was going on…

"You're being unreasonable," another voice said. It was a deep male voice, and Bunnymund was certain he'd heard it before.

The Easter spirit silently walked up to a doorway which was partially open. The voices were coming from the other side. He crouched down low and peaked around the door frame to see if he could catch a glimpse of the figures inside. Bunnymund's jaw almost hit the floor when he found out who was speaking. It was the Primearchs, well two of them anyways. He was eavesdropping on Nyght and the Man in the Moon.

"I am not being unreasonable!" Nyght snarled. "It was unreasonable for me to trust you in the first place!"

"No!" Manny barked. "You can't put this one on me!"

"Really?" the dark haired woman gave him a cold look. "Let me remind you which one of us has a track record of dishonesty and betrayal."

"You know that's not what happened?" Manny reached out a hand towards Nyght's shoulder.

"Don't!" Nyght's voice was practically venomous as she jerked away from his touch. "Don't you dare touch me with those hands, not after you've been touching _her_!" She spat the word as if it were the most profane thing she could muster.

"Your hatred for your sister is so childish," Manny frowned.

"You've always been soft where she's concerned," Nyght sneered.

"Someone has to be," the grey-haired man sighed. "After you and Mother Earth practically exiled her."

"She deserved it!" Nyght seethed.

"It solved nothing."

"What would you know?"

"I know you used to trust me," Manny looked sorrowfully at the woman. "…once."

"And that was the biggest mistake of my existence," Nyght responded icily.

"How long are you going to hold this against me?"

"Till all the light has faded from the universe, and everything returns to my embrace," Nyght said bitterly. "Until then you can go back to my sister. The two of you seem so _happy _together."

"You used to be so compassionate," Manny lamented.

"I used to be naïve."

"I said I was sorry," Manny pressed. "I never meant for him to get involved."

"Involved!?" Nyght cried, looking at the man with disbelief. "You promised to leave him alone!"

"I did leave him alone!" Manny snarled, showing his temper for the first time. "I left him alone for three hundred years! I left him alone until he started to hate me! What did you expect me to do?"

"Keep your word!" Nyght snapped. "That was our agreement! That was why I broke my vow! That was why I created another spirit after four thousand years of self-imposed exile! You promised me that he would be protected!" The Twilight spirit looked practically broken as she said these words, the pain in her eyes so evident, so raw, that the Man in the Moon had to turn away from her.

"He is protected!" Manny threw his hands up into the air. "He's surrounded by people who protect him, who look out for him! What more could you ask for?"

"He was supposed to have a peaceful life," Nyght appeared directly in front of the man, refusing to let him avoid her gaze. "He was supposed to have a simple job. You've cursed him… like all my other children were cursed."

"Jack Frost is stronger than that," Manny said firmly.

"I know that," Nyght muttered. "It's why I agreed to create him in the first place, but there are things out there in the darkness, forces you have chosen to be blind to."

"Nyght," Manny looked at her with a disapproving frown. "You've been so afraid of another war that you've let you fear control you."

"War is coming, Erebus," she said coldly. "You and the others may be unwilling to accept this, but it is the truth."

The Man in the Moon shook his head sadly, "I feel sorry for you, Nyght. You've lost your way."

"Don't you dare presume to judge me!" she snapped.

Manny held up his hands in surrender, not willing to argue the point further.

"And you will refrain from any further contact with Jack," Nyght said threateningly.

"No," Manny crossed his arms. "He deserves to be prepared for what is coming. He doesn't know how much power is at his disposal. You saw him at the dinner."

"I will decide how _my _son is prepared for the future," Nyght shouted, her hand flashing out and striking the Man in the Moon across the face. "Don't forget that it was _my _power you needed for his creation, and they were _my _terms you agreed to. For the sake of what little honor you still possess, don't you _dare _try and cross me."

"You want him to hate me." Manny said softly. It wasn't a question.

"I want him to know just what kind of person you really are," Nyght whispered viciously. She turned and stormed towards a doorway across the room, which obviously led to a different exit.

The Man in the Moon was left alone, holding the side of his face where he'd been struck. A melancholy smile came over his features. "That's the first time she's touched me in over two thousand years," he said to no one in particular. "I guess you could consider that progress."

Bunnymund stood frozen in his place outside the door. Was Manny speaking to him? He didn't want to move. If he moved then his presence would definitely be discovered. There was no telling what kind of trouble he would be in; Bunny knew that the information he'd overheard was highly sensitive. If the wrong people learned that Nyght and Manny had created Jack Frost… it would create an uproar in the spirit community. Jack would receive even more unwanted attention, not to mention the Winter spirit would probably take the news badly.

It was a horrible situation, and the Easter spirit now wished he had never decided to eavesdrop. Curiosity killed the cat, or in the case would probably kill the rabbit.

"I won't make you come out of hiding," Manny said softly. "Just promise me you won't tell Jack what you heard here tonight."

What?! Bunny couldn't contain his shock. How was he supposed to keep something like this from Jack? If the boy ever found out, if Jack learned that Bunny had kept a secret like this… the damage would be irreparable. Jack would never forgive him.

The Winter spirit already felt like the Guardians were keeping secrets from him. What Manny was asking him to do would only cement Jack's suspicions. It could tear the Guardians apart.

"I can't do that," Bunnymund said, steeling his nerves as he stepped visibly into the doorway.

"Ah, Aster," Manny smiled warmly. "I was afraid you were the one behind the door."

"You didn't know?"

"Not for certain," Manny chuckled. "I knew one of you was out there."

"I can't lie to Jack," Bunny said again.

"I'm not asking you to," Manny explained.

"If I keep this from him…"

"He has no reason to suspect it," the Moon spirit said firmly. "The only reason he would, is if someone were to tell him. I trust you won't do that."

"He has the right to know," Bunny said angrily.

This was met by a harsh, humorless laugh. "Trust me!" Manny groaned bitterly, "No one knows this more than I do."

"Then why haven't you told him!?" Bunny demanded.

"Because I made a deal with my devil," Manny confessed.

"With Nyght?" the Easter spirit eyed the doorway through which the woman had departed. He was now more suspicious of her than ever.

"Yes," the Man in the Moon smiled longingly at the very same doorway.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to be closer to her," Manny's blue eyes seemed to shimmer with repressed tears, creating the most sorrowful expression Bunnymund had ever seen. "I did something unforgivable, many years ago, and it was the only thing I could think of to get close to her again."

"What was?"

"Jack…" Manny whispered.

"What about Jack?"

"I knew she would be interested in him," Manny smiled. "He was such a vibrant human. Nyght was always inspired by the vibrant ones… they reminded her of stars. I knew she would want to save him… she was the only one who could."

"But she wanted something?" Bunny asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Manny's face twisted in regret. "Her price was high."

"What?" Bunnymund growled. "Why would you agree to help her?"

"Help her?" Manny shook his head. "No, she agreed to help me. I didn't have enough power to save Jack. His creation would have left me drained for years… the Guardians would have been nearly powerless."

"Then why would Nyght agree to create such a spirit?" Bunny's confusion was mounting.

"Because Jack was pure…" Manny smiled. "He was the purest soul I'd ever seen. Nyght agreed with me, and she agreed to help with his creation if I would make certain Jack was protected."

"Protected?"

"Kept away from the rest of the spirit world," Manny nodded. "Away from the influences, the dangers, the troubles… Nyght agreed to create another spirit if I promised not to interfere after the process was complete. Nyght also forced the other Primearchs. Father Time took Jack's memories, and Mother Earth made him into a Force of Nature, a simple job. Jack was supposed to be allowed a carefree life."

"That's why you left Jack alone," the Easter spirit breathed out slowly. His anger rushed out of him, leaving Bunnymund feeling completely deflated.

"I couldn't keep my word though," Manny laughed, though the sound was angry and filled with self-depreciation. "So many nights, Jack would shout up at me, demanding answers. It was so hard to remain silent, to just ignore him. So I found a loophole."

"You made him a Guardian," Bunny shook his head. "That's hardly a loophole."

"I wasn't necessarily interfering," Manny chuckled. "I just gave him a choice."

"And now the most powerful spirit in the world has it out for you…" Bunny couldn't believe he'd stumbled into the middle of something like this.

"She's just disappointed," Manny sighed, running a hand through his salt and pepper goatee. "I can't blame her. I allowed my selfishness to get the better of me, even though I knew she was testing my resolve."

"You think she was using Jack just to test you!?" Bunny felt his anger return.

"Perhaps," Manny shrugged, "Perhaps it is my own vanity, groundlessly hoping that she still cares enough about me to do so."

"I hope for Jack's sake that you're wrong," Bunny spat in contempt. "He's not some guinea pig, and while I don't much care for her high-and-mighty act, I agree with Nyght."

"You do?" Manny looked surprised.

"Yeah, I do," the Easter spirit turned to leave. "Jack's the most precious light I've ever witnessed, mate. He needs to be protected at all costs."

"You can't tell him," Manny said sternly.

"Try and stop me," Bunny reached up to grab one of his boomerangs.

"I wouldn't have to," the Man in the Moon gave him a sorrowful look. "I can make you forget."

"Just like that?"

The Moon spirit nodded, "Just like that. The choice is yours."

"Fine," Bunny's shoulders slumped. "I won't tell him."

"Thank you," Manny breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm not doing it for you," Aster growled. "I'm doing it because I hope that Nyght actually has a plan. If Jack gets hurt, I don't care if you are Primearchs. I'll be comin' for you."

* * *

**A/N -**

**Whew! So much information!**

**I didn't give you overload did I? I'm always afraid of doing that.**

**So, big reveal, huh? Nyght help Man in the Moon create Jack Frost. How many people saw that coming? Show of hands? Yeah, I figured you all probably guessed that already. I kind of foreshadowed it, like... A LOT! If I did catch you by surprise then, yay! I'm glad. If I didn't, hopefully there was still some information in the reveal that managed to catch your attention or hold your interest.**

**Things are going to start moving fairly quickly from here. I know where the story is headed, and we are going to be seeing the villain reveal themselves in probably the next chapter to two. Yep. That's how fast things are gonna be. I think this story is going to end before we reach Chapter 25 (I mean that in my actual chapter numbers, not the number of updates.) This is Chapter 17, so... I'd say Chapter 23 to 25 is around the right time frame for the ending to get near.**

**I know. It's kind of sad, but like I said: there are two ways I can end it. I have a vague idea for a sequel, if people think I should do it... or I can just end this fic and tie up all the loose ends nice and pretty like. I'll leave the choice to you.**

**As always, this story is funded by your Reviews. So please help a poor author out! ;)**

**See you with the next chapter.**


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